ISSUE 2
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WSTA Survey Reveals Overwhelming Support for A Wine and Spirit Tax Break
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Support for a tax break for the beleaguered hospitality and on trade sector is growing, in a survey by The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) almost 95% of companies who participated agreed with the WSTA’s recommendation that the government should suspend excise duty for six months. This follows a letter signed by 36 WSTA members from across the trade – including producers, retailers and suppliers – whose companies are in a battle to survive following lockdown and the closure of the hospitality sector.
Many businesses who faced duty bills on March 25th were unable to pay and some have been granted a deferment by HMRC for three months. However, the WSTA is calling for this deferment to be converted to a duty suspension allowing companies to keep hold of vital funds which will provide the lifeline that keeps them afloat by materially improving their cashflow. This represents perhaps the biggest immediate challenge facing small on-trade businesses and suppli-
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ers, and the WSTA’s calls for deferment would also help avoid adding debt to business. According to the WSTA the UK wine and spirits industry: • is worth £49 billion in economic activity • generates £21.7 billion in sales • with £11.1 billion sales to the off- trade • with £10.6 billion sales to the on-trade
CONTINUED ON PAGE 3...
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2
CLH Digital
Issue 2
EDITOR
Peter Adams
Welcome to the second edition of CLH Digital, an “offshoot” from our normal monthly CLH News. We will be distributing CLH Digital via our digital newsletter, social media and also available to read online whilst this current Covid-19 crisis continues.
CLH Digital was launched in response to the country’s lockdown following the Government decision, firstly to close the hospitality and ontrade sector and subsequently almost the entire country!
Editor's Viewpoint So why would people and businesses within 10 days and just one paycheck find themselves in such dire straits? Over taxation - that is the reason, in my humble opinion. We are simply taxed too much on a day-to-day, week to week, month to month basis and that leaves no reserves. Everybody has been caught. So, the idea of a tax post Covid-19 is, in my opinion, too ludicrous for words. Furthermore, the Deputy Chief Medical officer for England, Dr Jenny Harries, said at Downing Street’s daily press conference that the lockdown could last up to 6 months. The former Governor of the Bank of England, Lord Mervyn King warned that an extended lockdown due to coronavirus could result in a “rebellion” if it is enforced for too long.
We pay more alcohol duty than Spain, France, Germany, Italy, and Portugal combined. On February 27, as our page one article states, we had reached the same amount of beer duty that the 82 million people living in Germany paid throughout the whole of 2020. I was taken to task by one of our readers at a tradeshow early this year who felt that we devoted too much editorial time to cutting VAT in tourism. It is a subject close to my heart simply because I’ve seen how popular and how well it is working other countries. That is the kind of reporting I want to see now – preparation and a crystal-clear economic plan on how to get the country moving. The hospitality sector is the third largest private sector employer in the country, employs over 3 million people and generates £130 billion.
I would like to throw my hat into the ring to start the He’s right. There is not an economy in the world past pres- fightback now - “Staycation - The Hospitality Industry ent or future that could stand such prolonged lockdown Needs You”! measures. The need to take holidays, short breaks, day trips, visits to I must, at this point, credit former Chancellor Alistair the pub and restaurants at home in the UK is absolutely Darling who was also involved in the podcast - citing back vital. to when he was Chancellor when the 2008 financial crisis According to analytics and data company GlobalData, hit. The first thing he did was to reduce VAT, explaining how Staycations could very well be a potential winner. Nick We would draw your attention to our lead story with the important it was to get and keep the wheels of the econo- Wyatt, Head of R&A, Travel & Tourism at GlobalData, said: Wine Spirit and Trade Association calling for a tax break. As my moving. “People will still want to go on holiday – they do not want you will see from the article, as a result of the price of beer I have worked in the private sector and at the coalface all to give up their holidays altogether. However, they are going being kept down in 2019, the extra 87 million pints sold in of my working life. I have seen recessions come and go. I to start to revert to ‘safety first’. They’re going to say ‘where 2019 compared to 2018 will have boosted HMRC’s revenues grew up one of the most impoverished parts of the United am I comfortable taking my family? Where do I feel it is by £57 million. Kingdom. I have seen first-hand the consequences of unem- safe?’ There is a very good chance that they might actually ployment, not only the poverty but the damage caused to land on their own country as the answer to that question. Earlier this week I was invited into a podcast seminar which featured some of the country’s leading industry, bank- broken relationships and homes, mental health and sub“Staycations are likely to make travellers feel more comstance abuse. While we are in the eye of the storm now, the ing, medical and political figures, all giving their views and fortable as they are familiar with the location, they can suggestion that this could carry on up to 6 months will opinions on the current crisis. potentially avoid flying, and they know the health service and destroy so many businesses and lives it’ll be all but impossihealth structure, as well as other benefits of staying within One of the “alarming” comments from one the contribuble to recover. your own country such as reduced travel time and no lantors was the need for a “future health tax”. Lord King, who served as Governor during the 2008 finan- guage barrier. Therefore, we may see an uptick in staycations, Probably very controversial at the moment, but I am precial crisis, said it was “unrealistic” to think the lockdown particularly in countries such as the UK where there is a pared to stick my head above the parapet, and object to could continue for “months and months on end” and called strong holidaying culture, but also subcultures and different increased taxation. We were invited to present questions, for a gradual exit strategy to protect the economy and citi- offerings within the country that position them well to benbut unfortunately, most of the mainstream media, Telegraph, zens’ well-being. efit from any rise in domestic tourism. Times, Guardian etc were ahead in the queue, so I never got I have not seen one single report on how we are to pre“There are a number of potential winners, for example my chance! pare for that. Every interview, every report sensationalises. anybody that is operating hotels and attractions. In the UK, My point quite simply is this - within 10 days of going into Every journalist and interviewer I see puts members of cultural sites such as the Tower of London or Edinburgh lockdown and only one “paycheck”, many businesses and Parliament “on trial” where they are subjected to interroga- Castle could benefit.” people find themselves staring at the abyss. tion and not interview. I have been embarrassed at some of We are hoping to bring some more great comments and Why? Despite all these leading public figures speaking and the journalism I have seen surrounding recent events. advice from industry professionals next week, regarding mainstream media questioning them, this question was not And then comes the solution to all of life’s problems preparing for the future and how to encourage and capiraised once. more taxes! What would increased taxation do? talise on Staycations! We feel it is our job to provide as much support and information during these dark times (without the spin) to enable businesses to keep fully aware of dedicated industry news. We’ve also been calling on industry professionals and experts in various sectors to provide their valuable expertise and knowledge to help not only get through this crisis but also emerge the other side fighting fit and ready to hit the ground running!
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EDITOR Peter Adams
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Issue 2
CLH Digital
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WSTA Survey Reveals Overwhelming Support for A Wine and Spirit Tax Break ...CONTINUED FROM FRONT COVER
real difference to the sector.
81% of UK adults who drink alcohol will drink wine, 79% of UK adults who drink alcohol will drink spirits, and the average tax on wine in 2018 was 56% and the average tax on spirits 77%. A staggering £17 billion in total contributions is raised for the public purse.
“Our members’ survey showed overwhelming support for a sixmonth suspension to alcohol duty. Government has made it clear that there is no quick fix to the Coronavirus crisis and has warned that it could be six months before life in the UK returns to normal. With many businesses facing duty bills again in 3 months’ time, the wine and spirit trade is likely to find itself under even greater financial pressure than they were at the beginning of the outbreak.
While some alcohol businesses have seen a short-term increase in demand, for others the future looks grim. For example, restaurants, pubs and bars, the wider hospitality sector and its suppliers are selling only very small amounts through deliveries. With no prospect of reopening anytime soon, there is a real threat that a number of these businesses will not survive. Responses to our survey revealed huge concerns over cashflow and debt, which have already had an impact on decisions regarding staff retention. Miles Beale, Chief Executive of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association, said: “The WSTA, our members and the wider drinks sector have welcomed many of the measures announced by the Chancellor to support businesses as a result of the Coronavirus. Excise duty reliefs continue to be the most common suggestion of a way that government can make a
“Another key concern highlighted by members was that taking up government-backed loans would take time, and would risk leaving businesses drowning in debt at the end of the lockdown period. The impact will be even greater on cash-strapped SME’s with limited access to capital and restricted cashflows.” The call comes at the same time The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) called the Chancellor’s decision to collect March’s Beer Duty payments as ‘incredibly disappointing’ and a ‘huge blow for the UK’s small independent brewers. Brewers have been calling on the Chancellor to unilaterally cancel the payment, in the face of decimated sales following social distancing meas-
ures including pub, bar and restaurant closures, and as of last night the closing of takeaway sales for beer businesses. James Calder, SIBA Chief Executive said in response to this news: “SIBA has been calling for the cancellation of Beer Duty for over a week and it is incredibly disappointing that the Chancellor has decided not to act, given he knows how poor the answer rate and experience on the helpline is. The Chancellor has left brewers with few options if they are unsuccessful in reaching the helpline. There will be brewers who will have thousands of pounds direct debited from their accounts by HMRC. This is a huge blow for the UK’s small independent brewers.” In 2019 staggering 255 pints were sold every second resulting in over £8 billion sold. As a result of the price of beer being kept down in 2019, the extra 87 million pints sold in 2019 compared to 2018 will have boosted HMRC’s revenues by £57 million. Long Live The Local, a campaign that launched in July 2018, has repeatedly called for a cut in beer duty. Since then, 341,926 people have signed Long Live The Local petitions, 161,990 people have written to their MP, and over 25,000 pubs have actively supported the campaign with posters and drip mats.
Chancellor Strengthens Loan Support for Small Business
The Chancellor Rishi Sunak is today (Friday 3 April) taking further action to support firms affected by the coronavirus crisis by bolstering business interruption loans for small businesses and announcing a new scheme for larger companies. More than £90 million of loans to nearly 1,000 small and medium sized firms have been approved under the government’s Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) since its launch last week. And a government-backed scheme to provide financing to larger companies, being operated by the Bank of England, has also provided almost £1.9 billion of support to firms and a further £1.6 billion has been committed. To maximise the support available, the Chancellor is extending the CBILS so that all viable small businesses affected by COVID-19, and not just those unable to secure regular commercial financing, will now be eligible should they need finance to keep operating during this difficult time. The government is also stopping lenders from requesting personal guarantees for loans under £250,000 and making operational changes to speed up lending approvals. The government will continue to cover the first twelve months of interest and fees. The new Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS) will ensure that more firms are able to benefit from govern-
ment-backed support during this difficult time. It will provide a government guarantee of 80% to enable banks to make loans of up to £25 million to firms with an annual turnover of between £45 million and £500 million. This will give banks the confidence to lend to more businesses which are impacted by coronavirus but which they would not lend to without CLBILS. Loans backed by a guarantee under CLBILS will be offered at commercial rates of interest and further details of the scheme will be announced later this month. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak MP, said:"We are making great progress on getting much-needed support out to businesses to help manage their cashflows during this difficult time – with millions of pounds of loans and finance being provided to hundreds of firms across the country. "And now I am taking further action by extending our generous loan scheme so even more businesses can benefit. We have also listened to the concerns of some larger businesses affected by COVID-19 and are announcing new support so they can benefit too. "This is a national effort and we’ll continue to work with the financial services sector to ensure that the £330 billion of government support, through loans and guarantees, reaches as many businesses in need as possible."
The Chancellor will be speaking to bank Chief Executives next week to discuss how the schemes are working and ensure everybody is playing their part. There have now been over 130,000 enquiries from businesses across the country for business interruption loans, according to latest figures from UK Finance. Some 983 businesses have had finance approved, while banks are processing thousands of loan applications – and scheme changes made today will help them approve loans for the smallest businesses as quickly as possible. The first firms to receive business interruption loans included Hartlepool-based H.T.E.S (Northern), which provides training and assessment services to the engineering, petrochemical and construction sectors. This company received a £60,000 loan backed by the scheme, enabling it to continue to operate, even though sales have dropped by 75%. Business Secretary Alok Sharma MP said: "The coronavirus pandemic represents a challenge to businesses unlike any other they have faced before and we are determined to support them through this difficult time. "The changes we are making to the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme will make it easier for business to access the lending we have put in place, helping them to continue trading and protect the livelihoods of their staff."
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CLH Digital
Issue 2
Hospitality Businesses Must Stand Together Like Never Before By Chris Sheppardson, CEO at EP Business in Hospitality (www.epinsights.co.uk) As we find ourselves in unprecedented times, many people are making comparisons between the economic impact of coronavirus and the historic wartime economy, which of course was harsh and brutal, but this crisis has been so shocking and sudden. Taking no prisoners, the impact of this virus has left every one of us with real live problems of varying degrees that we will all need to face. For the hospitality industry in particular, the impact has been very severe indeed. For businesses small and large, there are no easy answers but one thing is clear, we will need to stand together as an industry as we emerge from this. This is not a time for bravado or alpha behaviours. The focus must be on compassion, care and consideration. Right now, there are many thousands of people from the world of hospitality who are presently furloughed. How can we ensure that we learn from them now in order to be ready for the post-crisis era? The challenges that this group face today will impact all of us at some point in the longer term.
WHAT’S LEFT AT THE END OF THIS? One thing we can say with certainty is that this pandemic will pass.
However the real issue is how we come out of this post-crisis. What will we have left in order to rebuild? Every hospitality business has been grappling with the uncertainty suddenly created, moving at breakneck speed to look after people, costs and cash. Reducing is one thing. Rebuilding is quite another. Bearing in mind the severity of the disruption to restaurants, caterers, hotels etc. the focus on people has generally been admirable, supported by a government who have currently impressed with the measures they have taken to protect jobs and incomes. Most businesses seem to be working on the assumption that we will be in total lockdown until at least June and that a return to trading will happen gradually over the remainder of the year. The potential threat of an extended lockdown period beyond June would see even the strongest companies struggling to survive. There is of course a wellbeing concern too, if one in four were reported to be struggling with mental illness pre the crisis, it will be probably be much higher afterwards. Are we equipped to deal with this even if just for our own people? Many living in isolation will also be under considerable financial stress right now and will battle with depression as well as loneliness. This is also where the theory of ‘standing together’ as an industry really comes into its own.
OPENING CONVERSATIONS As large corporations, as independent entrepreneurs, as small businesses owners, we are fighting the same battle that nobody is immune to. We must open our proverbial ‘doors’ (safely in line with current guidance), we must talk (albeit remotely), share worries and ideas, be there to support those who are struggling both mentally and financially, give advice, offer positivity, new perspectives and where appropriate, be that ‘virtual’ shoulder to cry upon.
Many hospitality leaders want to see this crisis lead to a more ethical approach to business with greater behaviours and trust being restored. Most employees yearn for genuine, authentic leaders who care about people – not brands, not models, not their financial projects. The truth is, that strategy can begin now and lessons can be learned. We need to create a positive story for the future and set out a vision for our industry as it provides hope and direction for others to follow. Some will fall down along the way and united as a sector, we will have to pick them up. If we agree we are in this together, this will be our duty. The exit from lockdown is not a ‘back to normality’ process, because people will have less money to spend and there will be less trust in visiting public places (including hospitality venues). It will take time to rebuild that security and trust. In China, it is reported that every employee in the hospitality sector is taking their temperature three times per day and noting it down. Will we do the same?
HERE AND NOW As a sector we will undoubtedly need to develop new levels of health and safety processes and all will be much stricter on that front. More will invest in deeper cleaning which, will increase costs in this area and will inevitably mean a decrease elsewhere. In short, hospitality must focus on the here and now. We do not have all of the answers yet but we can handle what is in our control today. We all need to be calm. We will need to come together in a way that has not happened during our lifetimes and we are going to have to think about communities and people with far more care. Remember: “If you are anxious, you are thinking about tomorrow. If you are calm, you are thinking about the present”.
NPD Group Covid-19 British Foodservice Sentiment Tracker Global information company The NPD Group says results from its COVID19 British Foodservice Sentiment Tracker shows nine out of 10 respondents agree that temporary closure of out-of-home or eat-out establishments is a sensible precaution. Carried out on 20th March 2020, before the nationwide lockdown was announced, the NPD survey indicates that there is scope for the delivery channel to extend its reach. Almost four in 10 (39%) of respondents are already using delivery services, and a further 42% told NPD that delivery services are either not available
where they live, or that they do not use delivery services. However, one in 10 respondents (10%) said they will now try using delivery for the first time during the COVID-19 outbreak. A further 8% of those who regularly order from a delivery service will now do so more often. Looking ahead, more than half of all respondents (53%) say they will return to eating out once the COVID-19 pandemic subsides and British foodservice outlets are permitted to open in a conventional manner. In addition, a quarter of respondents (24%) say they will eat out more often than before.
Issue 2
CLH Digital
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Majority Will Eat-Out with Same Frequency as Before Lockdown (51%) of those surveyed last weekend saying they were very concerned about the long term financial implications of the COVID-19 virus. These factors may explain the apparent reluctance of many consumers to commit to returning to going back to old patterns of going to pubs, bars and restaurants post-crisis. Almost a third (32%) of adults said they would eat-out less frequently than pre-COVID-19, with the majority (61%) saying they would eat-out with the same frequency and just 7% saying they would eat-out more. For drinking occasions, the story was similar, with 35% planning to reduce frequency of drinking out visits and 59% maintaining current visit rates. The public has become increasingly focused on health and wellness as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, with two thirds (66%) of adults saying they are now taking precautions to protect long term health, such as changing what they eat and drink and how frequently they exercise, new research from CGA reveals. A third – mainly younger city and town dwellers, and those that regularly go out to eat and drink – strongly agree with that view, the snap poll conducted by CGA, the specialist food and drink industry insight provider, found. Money worries are also weighing heavily with the public, with half
“The results put into context the task that those pub, restaurant and bar operators that do eventually emerge the other side of the lockdown will face in getting the public back into their establishments. Cash will be tight, but the type of offer may have to change too, if those health-conscious tendencies become engrained,” said Phil Tate, Group Chief Executive of CGA. “But what the survey also showed is that those that go-out most are the ones most likely to return to old habits, and they will be undoubtedly the main focus of renewed marketing efforts,” Tate added. However, the poll also showed eating and drinking out remains a vital part of the British way of life, with only visiting relatives coming above
eating out, and then drinking out, as the activity that the public are missing most during the lockdown, and ahead of going to the gym, shopping on the high street and attending small social gatherings. Also, over half (54%) of those hit hard financially, either by having lost their jobs, being furloughed, or on reduced pay, said they would continue eating out as often as before, with a similar number for drinking-out, which is only slightly less than the public average. When asked if they had gone out for “one last occasion” before pubs and restaurants shut, 42% of population said they had, with the local pub the most popular destination. Support for local pubs and restaurants increased in the week before the shutdown, and the survey suggests this will continue once the recovery comes. As a result of the lockdown, four in five adults have now stopped eating out-of-home totally, even for a takeaway, with just 13% only doing this when ‘essential’, for example buying a grab ‘n’ go meal. The survey, conducted on March 28-29, also asked people which outof-home brands they would miss most visiting during the lockdown. Despite some negative publicity in the media, JD Wetherspoon came out top, followed by Nando’s, Pizza Hut, Toby, Harvester and Five Guys. However, the survey also provided mixed messages for JD Wetherspoon, as the brand that consumers had most changed their opinion about negatively (19%) – although that was balanced by those that had changed their opinion positively.
The Licensed Trade Charity & Kopparberg Launch The ‘Together We Can’ Campaign As the hospitality industry temporarily closes its doors in communities across the UK to tackle COVID-19, The Licensed Trade Charity and Kopparberg are launching the ‘Together We Can’ campaign, to support those in the industry in vital need of funding and advice. By pledging £20 or more to the Licensed Trade Charity, up to 1,250 Kopparberg fans will receive a case of either Strawberry & Lime cider or Strawberry & Lime gin and lemonade cans to their home, and the brand is letting you choose which you’d rather have. In return, the charity, which has supported the hospitality industry in the UK for over 200 years, provides financial assistance, as well as practical advice spanning debt, housing, employment law and benefits to those in the drinks industry during these unprecedented times. In addition to the financial and prac-
tical support offered, the charity is offering six free counselling sessions for those finding the current climate particularly difficult, and 100% of your donation will support in funding these vital services. Donations are pledged through GoFundMe, the largest crowdfunding site in the world. All you have to do is visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/supportthe-together-we-can-campaign, pledge your funds and upload a form of ID to verify you are over the age of 18. Again, 100% of your donation will go directly to The Licensed Trade Charity. James Brewster, Chief Executive at The Licensed Trade Charity commented, “Along with the rest of the country, we’re devastated by the effects of COVID-19 on the pub, bar and brewery industry right now and we’re proud to be teaming up with Kopparberg as they help us to spread the message to every-
one involved that you’re not alone, no matter what situation you might find yourself in. From financial grants to support with rent or mortgage arrears and telephone support services for those who are feeling the effects of self-isolation, there is help available to those who need it in our industry right now.” Kopparberg, a brand that strives to unite people, are honoured to support the Licensed Trade Charity during these times of uncertainty. Neil Robinson, Sales Director at Kopparberg said, “We know it’s a difficult time for publicans and workers across the drinks industry who have had to temporarily shut their doors and we want to help raise funds and awareness for the vitally important Licensed Trade Charity, who will offer ongoing support for our trade partners and workers in the industry during these unprecedented times.” You may not be able to visit your local at this time, but please do continue to show your support for workers in the drinks industry by pledging your support and using #TogetherWeCan. To donate to the Licensed Trade Charity and receive your case of Kopparberg, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-the-together-we-can-campaign
To celebrate the launch and in recognition to Marren’s commitment to the environment, for every microwave sold, funds will be donated to the World Land Trust to plant a tree. A Buy One Get One Tree offer so to speak, which will help mitigate their environmental impact.
Doors Closed, DMs Open! Using Marketing Communications To Help Survive COVID-19 6
CLH Digital
Issue 2
Six Tips For The Hospitality Industry - And Free Downloadable Tools To Help
By Jaime Gee, Managing Director, Jam_, a leading marketing communications agency The COVID-19 crisis has no doubt hit the UK’s hospitality industry harder than most sectors. Although the situation is changing on a daily basis, the outlook could appear bleak for many independent or smaller businesses as they prepare to weather this storm.
SURVIVING CRISES - CAN WE COME OUT STRONGER? Business owners are understandably worried and unsure about what the future holds, but it’s important to remember that it is in everyone’s best interests for UK hospitality businesses to weather the storm as best they can, and come out of this situation intact and ready for the next chapter. According to UK Hospitality, the hospitality industry contributes more than £120bn a year to the UK’s economy, and over 3.2 million people work in pubs, bars, restaurants and hotels, making it the third largest sector for employment. Although the COVID19 crisis has hit the sector quickly and with unprecedented force, this is not the first time that the UK’s hospitality industry has been pushed to its limits. The recession, kick-started by the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008, had a devastating effect worldwide on many businesses. For the hotel sector, 2009 represented some of the worst declines in history, with large YOY profit drops recorded in many major cities in Europe. However, numerous markets were quick to recover, with hotels in
London recording growth of 14.1% YOY in 2010 (Source: HotStats). Turning attention to Britain’s pub sector, the recession hit around the same time as the smoking ban, and at a time when a leap in tech had led to the social media landscape ramping up and replacing more traditional ways of socialising with friends. For many, this was a perfect storm that meant the closure of outlets and the loss of jobs, but others rode the storm and even thrived. And, although this situation is very different, there are lessons we can learn from the survivors.
UNIQUE ROLE OF THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY Although the current crisis cannot be downplayed, resilient outlets and owners can do all they can to weather the storm and prevail. After all, Britain's hospitality outlets play a unique role in providing an environment for friends and families to enjoy dining, drinking and socialising and after weeks or even months of social isolation or distancing - the sector will surely be pivotal in combating the loneliness, anxiety and disconnection caused by COVID19. With this in mind, here are six ways that owners and managers can use communications to get ahead at this time of crisis:
1. Keep your audience engaged with social media Social media can sometimes be seen as a “nice to have” for smaller businesses, or you may neglect your platforms due to time constraints or lack of knowledge.
During this time of crisis, your social media can be used as the main channels to communicate with your customer base and keep your business front of mind. As many people stay off work, work from home or self isolate, they will rely more and more on social feeds for communication as well as information and entertainment. We have compiled a handy list of ideas to help your hospitality business use social in the best way, including video content ideas, recipe uploads, sharing beautiful photography and more.
2. Get ahead with free tools There are a host of free social media tools to help maintain a strong social media presence, that help you create and schedule engaging posts. Facebook for Business is a great platform for not only scheduling your posts, but seeing what your customers engage with the most. If you’re struggling to get through customer queries or want to join in with trends, Tweetdeck is the perfect free extension to your existing account. And when it comes to managing everything in one place, from scheduling to replying to comments, Hootsuite offers the most comprehensive free software. Here’s more detail to our recommended free tools wearejam.agency/latest-news/free-social-media-resources-every-businessshould-use-during-the-covid-19-crisis/.
3. Take the time to up-skill It’s rare to find the time to upskill yourself and broaden your knowledge in other areas as a hospitality owner, so take any quiet time to do just that with free Google garage courses or free online tutorials and downloads. Look for courses in digital marketing, PR, social planning and content writing, all of which will help you to push your business and promote your services when things pick back up again. Interestingly, since the situation began to unfold and more people have been forced to self isolate, searches for Webinars have rocketed, according to Google trends.
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Issue 2
Doors Closed, DMs Open! Using Marketing Communications To Help Survive COVID-19 (...CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE) Another good idea to take this time to get some amazing photography of your products and your venue - either do them yourself or (if possible) consider using a local photographer who will be looking for work to replace cancelled events and may offer you a good deal.
4. Crisis communications - keeping everyone informed In times like this, it’s a good plan to update your website and social feeds regularly with informative posts letting your customers and other stakeholders know how you are handling the crisis and what you are doing from an operational perspective; if you are closing, cancelling events, what your staff or supplier policies are, if you can honour any vouchers or competition wins, and how you are supporting the local business landscape.
5. PR - keeping your voice heard in the crisis As a business owner, you will no doubt have strong opinions on the unfolding situation, the government response and how it all affects the sector. Consider sticking your head above the parapet and commenting on the crisis. Offer comment and insight to local newspapers, industry publications and trade websites. You can also share your thoughts on platforms such as LinkedIn and Twitter, and engage in other conversations too, to ensure your voice is heard during this crisis.
6. PR - being creative to ride out the storm There may not seem to be much positive news about at present, and it can feel a tad tricky to navigate the landscape to ensure that your tone is sensitive, but at the same time, the news outlets still require content - and uplifting stories or information about products and services might be exactly what’s required. Keep your target media up to date with news stories about any initiatives you are taking part in, charity or community work and any news about how you may be tweaking your offering to provide new services in light of the situation - offering take out food for example - or discount vouchers for future meals or drinks. In fact, the government has announced that it is relaxing rules to allow restaurants and other out-
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lets to become hot food takeaways during the crisis, and many local groups of businesses are pulling together to offer heavily discounted vouchers for future use to customers, to keep the money flowing. A steady stream of relevant, authentic news will keep your business front of mind with consumers and stakeholders, helping you to push through the crisis and - hopefully - come out stronger when we emerge.
GET HELP WHERE YOU CAN As well as keeping your communications regular, consistent and bold, keep abreast of what the government is doing to help the hospitality industry though this unprecedented time. At the budget, the Chancellor promised £20 billion of business rates support and grant funding to help the most-affected firms manage their cash flow through this period, which includes giving all retail, hospitality and leisure businesses in England a 100% business rates holiday for the next 12 months, increasing grants to small businesses eligible for Small Business Rate Relief from £3,000 to £10,000, and providing further £25,000 grants to retail, hospitality and leisure businesses operating from smaller premises, with a rateable value over £15,000 and below £51,000. Keep an eye out on the official Gov.uk website here: www.gov.uk/government/news/chancellor-announcesadditional-support-to-protect-businesses Incredibly, tech giant Facebook has also promised $100 million in grants to small businesses over the next few months. You can find out more here www.facebook.com/business/boost/grants And now, more than ever, it is imperative that your social media presence remains active. Staying visible and connected to your followers will keep customers engaged even when you’re not online. Which is why we here at Jam have compiled a free social media toolkit, to provide you with step-by-step instructions on building an engaged following on social media. Download it, give it a go and let us know how you get on: https://wearejam.agency/covid-19-toolkit/ Jam is a marketing communications agency that specialises in working with leisure and hospitality clients, working on bespoke communications solutions that include web build, design, PR, thought leadership, digital comms and social media to drive business forward and help hospitality outlets to thrive and succeed.
Perfect for pubs looking to sell their draught beer to customers before it spoils and great for offering a refill service! The 32oz (1.75 Pints) Amber Growler with Screw Top are now selling at £6.66 each in packs of 12 - OR with a 50% discount to beer trade for pallets of 384!
The 64oz (3.5 Pints) Clear Growler with Screw Top are now selling at £7.80 each in packs of 6 with a 50% discount to beer trade for pallets of 192!
Whitbread Diverts 65,000 Meals to Charity To Help Those Most Vulnerable 9,800 tomatoes, over 2100 potatoes, over 4000 bananas and over 15,500 pints of milk with more items to be donated in the coming week. Fresh, nutritious food is particularly valued by FareShare’s network of charities and community groups – including schools, foodbanks, care homes and homeless shelters. The majority of the food will be distributed to FareShare through Whitbread’s two main logistics centres, and then onwards through the organisation’s network of frontline charities and community groups it supports. FareShare is the UK’s national network of charitable food redistributors, made up of 17 independent organisations. Whitbread PLC, the UK’s largest hospitality operator, has donated over 27 tonnes of food to charity, the majority of which will be to food redistribution charity FareShare as part of its new partnership with the organisation. The food, which has been diverted as a result of the closure of its restaurants and is enough to provide 64,387 meals, most of which will be redistributed through FareShare’s nationwide network of thousands of frontline charities as they work to support those most vulnerable through the Coronavirus crisis. The partnership with FareShare has come at an unprecedented time for UK hospitality, and the relationship is due to play a key part in Whitbread’s sustainability targets to reduce food waste across its business. The timing of the partnership has become pivotal to both organisations as with the closure of its restaurants, Whitbread now finds itself in the position of having huge surpluses of food in the run up to what would have been the busiest time of the year for the casual dining market. The donations from Whitbread are in the region of 40-50,000 cases of stock, which includes approx.
Phil Birbeck, Managing Director at Whitbread Restaurants said: “We are extremely proud that we are able to act as a Force for Good through our partnership with FareShare by enabling us to donate food that would potentially have gone to waste, and that community groups and charities will benefit. This is an extremely difficult time for everyone, but we are so pleased that something positive is able to come from this as we continue to find ways to support our teams, our guests and our suppliers in unprecedented times.” Lindsay Boswell, FareShare Chief Executive, said: “FareShare already provides enough food to charities to help them provide almost a million meals a week – but as the Coronavirus outbreak develops, demand for our service is only going to continue rising. The past month alone has seen a record number of charities requesting to sign up, which only makes Whitbread’s support even more vital. The nutritious, fresh food supplied by Whitbread will be distributed to thousands of charities working tirelessly through this crisis to ensure those most vulnerable are not left at increased risk of hunger.”
www.hsfrenchflint.co.uk/special-offers
HS French Flint Ltd. based in London and Lincolnshire but supplying all over the U.K and abroad, still have good stock of Growlers to support Pubs, Hotels, and Farm Shops with their carry-home sales of Beer, Cider, Wines and Oils. As part of the supply chain to the food industry we remain open and able to ship our full range of Glass and Plastic Bottles, Jars, Caps Closures and Pumps.
Our showrooms have had to close but you can call us on 020 7237 1750 or visit our website at www.hsfrenchflint.co.uk
The pubs are closed, but don't let the beer go off! HS French Flint LTD The Gallery, Springalls Wharf 25a Bermondsey Wall West London, London SE16 4TH United Kingdom
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The Chancellors’ Help for Business is 'Not Working' The Chancellor needs to do much more to help businesses and ensure that the banks do more with more haste, say advisory and tax firm Blick Rothenberg “There are all sorts of things Rishi Sunak could do to sort this out but there needs to be urgent actions if businesses are to survive,” said Milan Pandya a partner at the firm. He added: The Chancellor has put in place a number of schemes to help businesses, but they are not working because the banks have not stepped up to the plate. When he gives his latest statement, he needs to address a number of issues that are simply not working.” Milan said: “Getting loans is an absolute nightmare. The banks are shut, websites are falling over, and you cannot get through on the telephone. There needs to be some real creative thinking about the process and banks need to ramp up their digital capabilities and call centers. The entire process needs to be simplified to make it quicker and more effective. “If you do get through there is too much red tape. Nobody wants to see reckless lending but there needs to be a simple way of checking out a business. Perhaps a self-declaration from borrowers along the lines of a tax declaration or providing
Rockliffe Hall Donates Toiletries to Darlington Memorial Hospital have any toiletries, due to the current ban on visitors.
Rockliffe Hall has donated hundreds of toiletries to County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust following an appeal for products to help patients. The hotel in Hurworth, near Darlington, gifted 576 shower gels, which normally go in guests’ rooms, to Darlington Memorial Hospital after a message went out asking for products for many patients who don’t
Pat Chambers, Charity Development Manager at County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, said: “When the call went out to local hotels to see if they could help the patients in Darlington Memorial there was a swift response from the team at Rockliffe Hall, donating 2 large boxes of shower gel to help our cause. During COVID 19 there is a total ban on visitors to the hospital leaving many patients, particularly emergency admissions, without access to essential toiletries. We are thoroughly delighted with the support received from the Rockliffe team - huge thanks to everyone involved.” Teresa Kingston, Commercial Director at Rockliffe Hall, said: “Rockliffe Hall always looks for ways in which to support the local community so when we saw Pat’s appeal on social media, our decision to donate some products was immediate.”
a life-line loan now, say up to £20,000 if simplified criteria are met, whilst the full application is being processed” He added: “The banks are not being creative in their thinking. The money needs to passed through to those who need it now in a manner which preserves responsible lending.” The Chancellor could look to private investors to get cash to smaller startup businesses quickly. Introducing incentives such as tax relief to the value of the loan on amounts up to £100,000 for businesses with turnover of less than £1m could attract interest from the wealthy individuals who might otherwise be inclined to hold their cash during this period. Milan said: “Because of the banks inertia other alternate lenders and funding platforms are stepping up to help businesses. Their rates may be higher, but they have got their acts together and are providing money right now. If they can do it why can’t the banks?” He added: “One of Chancellors first steps should be to consider removing certain unnecessary obstacles, for example security over the personal assets of the directors. The loans are subject to government guarantees already and excessive security requirements are making it challenging for directors to borrow money that would protect the business and the people it employs.”
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Put Your Thinking Cap On, Now
brands without a recipe for success. Brand building requires time - every top brand has been sculpting their guns for ages.
If you ran a hotel, pub or restaurant right now, apart from running around screaming, you'd be doing some essential maintenance to the building. The sort of thing you never do because there's always ‘the day job’ of running your establishment.
lips, a lifetime on the hips.
I appreciate I’ve milked the ‘no carbs before marbs’ metaphor, but you get my point. Concentrate on building your brand and you’ll be benefiting in the long term, especially as every single one of your competitors is going short term. Strong brands recovered 9 times faster than weak brands following the financial crash of 2008REF.
DON'T DROP YOUR PANTS
SO HOW DO YOU DO IT?
Most marketing budgets have been cut in half overnight; and nobody has downloaded your app / bought your widget / stepped foot in your stores for weeks. So when the country’s taps are turned back on, the obvious thing to do is drop your pants and pour all your money into performance marketing.
Take your time and the opportunity to breathe. You’ll be amazed at how much clarity comes from turning your notifications off and talking to someone smarter than you.
If you ran a retailer right now, apart from having a heart attack because the high street's in lock down, you'd be doing some essential work to your supply chain. Something that's always on the todo list, but life has a habit of getting in the way.
Unfortunately, performance marketing is ‘tactics before strategy’ It’s akin to holding a hammer and then looking for a nail. It has its place at the bottom of the funnel, not at the top. Performance marketing after COVID-19 will be like a shot of heroin. Lovely, blissful, short and stupid!
By Paul Mellor, Master of Decibels at Mellor & Smith
If you were a CEO of a company right now, apart from crying yourself to sleep, you’d be thinking what happens when sanctions are lifted. Ok, so you're in lockdown. There are still some customers to talk to, and maybe the occasional deal to get across the line, but mainly, things have gone quiet. Which is probably a good thing, because you’re spending all day in yesterday’s pants. You just turn them inside out, don’t you? It's deathly quiet. So quiet, its deafening to some. So much so that they won’t shut up and think. The smart people in this situation will grab the opportunity to think. Thinking - the kind where you switch off your What's App (you can watch the Corona memes another day), lock the kids in the garden for the day, and talk to somebody smarter than you – that kind of thinking transforms businesses. Remember, ‘if you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got’. So, take a deep fucking breath, feel the air in your lungs. Nice “innit”.
TIME IS ON YOUR SIDE We're going to be in this situation for a while, you don't have to make snap decisions today. It’s like a pint of the black stuff: good things come to those who wait. The best decisions need room to breathe, they need time to sit in the gut, and they definitely don't need 20 people rammed into a meeting room all jostling to be the clever dick who says, "I'm just going to play devil’s advocate". Investing a couple of weeks of your time now will pay you back many times over during the next 12 months. Remember: a moment on the
Let's get this straight: performance marketing (I hate that term btw when has marketing not been about performance?) is something that erodes your opportunity to demand a premium. Take ‘short-term Nigel’ who's currently sat in 20-people Zoom calls, listing out the prospects he's going to hit once he's allowed out. Nige is going to have a lovely first quarter after the sanctions are lifted, but then he's going to need another hit of heroin. And another, and another. But each time, it's less effective than the last.
DO THE OPPOSITE TO EVERYONE ELSE AND TURN IT UP TO 11 Once you’re suddenly back with your face in someone’s armpit on the Northern line, it will be too easy to slip back into old habits. And those old habits die hard. The average Londoner sees 1,000 ads a day (TV, print, mobile, outdoor) of which 89% are immediately forgotten! And that’s because some brands treat the public with contempt. Pretty much every brand looks and sounds the same. Making the same mistakes in some perverse ‘safety in numbers’ mentality, where nobody is prepared to stick their head above the parapet. Grab the opportunity to be 180 degrees different to every other brand in your industry. Yes it’s scary. Yes, it takes guts. Yes, it can be lonely. And yes it’s exhilarating. You’ll be thanking me in 12 months time.
NO CARBS BEFORE MARBS Think long term, not short term. The antidote to dropping your pants with performance marketing, is brand building. Building that ethereal quality that makes customers buy from you without knowing why they’d never deviate, if they were asked to switch. Brand building requires discipline - there aren’t many top brands with a flabby gut. Brand building requires a tightly defined aim - there aren’t many top
Keep your pants on, and don’t fall for the trap of getting hooked on performance marketing the minute the sanctions are lifted. You’ll get an immediate boost to your top line, but your bottom line will suffer, especially in the long term. Do the opposite to everyone else, which you will do anyway, if you take this opportunity to actually think, but turn the dial up to 11 and stick your neck out. Take a risk. Stand for something the public will remember. Remember: To get that 6-pack, you need to concentrate on the long term goal of brand building. It will see you through today’s darkest of hours, and will fuel your business in the good times. Focussing on keeping it simple will mean that when COVID-19 has disappeared, which it will, you’ll come out the other side in better shape than the competition. All because you didn’t run around your business screaming. Stay safe, wash your damn hands and don’t hug anyone… even “Devil’s Advocate Susan.”
Pubs Supporting Their Communities Issue 2
The Old White Bear in Keighley had taken 129 bookings for Mother’s Day but rather than let down their customers, they made all the meals available for takeway instead, and are continuing to operate a take-out service. When The Falcon in Prudhoe, Northumberland, had to close its doors, it gave all its excess food to local residents. The Myrtle Tavern in Leeds has stepped up to support the vulnerable in their local community, dropping off care packages to people self-isolating or unable to shop for themselves. Packages contain vital supplies - tea, milk, biscuits, toilet roll and a bottle of Guinness! The Plough & Harrow in Leytonstone has donated soft drinks to the local hospital for staff to enjoy on shift, and alcoholic drinks for those who want to take them home. They have also donated to other key workers such as post workers and refuse collectors, and have set up a Facebook page encouraging other pubs to offer the same support for the NHS Pedal power is delivering pub meals to residents in Addingham, Ilkley. Jon and Amy, licensees at The Swan in the village, have invested in a bike to bring their tasty pub meals, cooked from fresh, to local people. Lesters in Margate has made its car park available only to NHS workers at the nearby hospital, who are also benefiting from the pub’s takeaway food service. Licensee Barry is doing all he can to support the community, despite being himself in his 70s. Licensee Carole at The Clifton Arms in Blackburn raised more than £400 from the pub’s community in just half an hour and bought fruit boxes from a local producer to be delivered to the NHS staff at the local hospital. In the last week, the pub also delivered over 40 essential boxes to those who were in isolation or unable to leave home.
Des O’Flanagan, PubAid co-founder, said: “The Covid-19 pandemic may have closed pubs for now, but their support for their local communities remains undiminished as licensees up and down the country adapt to offer local people practical, social and emotional support to help them weather this unprecedented crisis. If ever there were proof that pubs are a force for good in their communities, this is surely it! When Mother’s Day became an early Covid-19 casualty, Brawns Den in Durham donated all the food they’d planned to serve families to local food banks. In similar vein, The Cross Keys in Coleorton in Leicestershire delivered 50 lunches from pizzas to Sunday roasts to the community on Mother’s Day.
The White Hart in Nettlebed near Henley has set up a shop in the pub, offering vital supplies to local residents, and are cooking a daily hot meal, ready for collection if ordered the day before. A poll on the Nettlebed Facebook asking residents if they wanted the shop to continue got 127 votes in favour – and none against! Good work by licensee Ted Docherty and his team of live-in staff who are working on a voluntary basis to serve the local community. The aptly-named Who’d Have Thought It in St Dominick in Cornwall is offering takeway and home delivery to the local community, and donating £1 for every order to a newly- established food bank offering vital supplies to the vulnerable. Great community support from licensee Tracey Fleming and her team. The Blue Ball in Braunston, Northamptonshire, has been making up food boxes for the local community. Licensees Dom and Pip also set
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up a fund so that people can make a donation to purchase a box for those in financial hardship. The Chestnut Group of 11 pubs in Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex has adapted its offer with freshly-cooked meals available for collection and delivery, live pub quizzes, Q+A sessions with the pub chefs on social media and online breadmaking demos. They’ve also opened shops at the Three Blackbirds near Newmarket and Globe Inn at Wells. To help keep customers socially connected through the lockdown, The Fleece Inn, Skipton, has moved its weekly Tuesday Pub Quiz online, with quizzers able to see licensee Tim read out the questions. And The Portsmouth Arms in Basingstoke is running two quizzes a day – one for children at 5.00 pm and one for adults at 8.00pm. Around 4,500 people tuned in on the first day! At The Bull & Bush in Shepshed, Essex, licensees Laura and Nez have set up a Facebook group for their regulars to share quizzes, music and more.
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Insolvency Rules to Be Relaxed to Help Businesses During Covid-19 Crisis The government is to “relax” insolvency regulation to give firms more protection during the coronavirus crisis. Legislation will be introduced soon to give businesses “extra space and time to weather the storm”, said business secretary Alok Sharma at the government’s daily briefing on Saturday. He said: “I want to announce more measures which are designed to give businesses greater flexibility as they face the current crisis, to help them emerge in tact the other side of the Covid-19 pandemic” The new rules will allow companies undergoing restructuring to maintain access to supplies and raw materials. There will also be a temporary suspension
of wrongful trading provisions for company directors to remove the threat of personal liability during the pandemic, which will apply retrospectively from March 1. Matthew Fell, chief UK policy director at the Confederation of British Industry, welcomed the interventions at a ‘critical time’ for businesses. He said: ‘The temporary suspension of wrongful trading provisions, along with other measures, will give much needed headroom for company directors to enable otherwise viable businesses to use the Government’s support package and weather this crisis.’ BCC Head of Economics Suren Thiru said: “Businesses will welcome the government’s sensible
There Is Such A Thing as Society: Research Shows Support for Local Businesses New research shows incredible strength of communities as residents and local pubs and restaurants support each other during lockdown. Boris Johnson announced that “there is such a thing as society” as he thanked the British public’s response to latest measures, a sentiment echoed in the research which involved more than 2,000 people nationwide*. It found that 71% believe takeaways and deliveries from their local pub or restaurant could be considered an essential service during the pandemic. One in six said that the taste of their favourite dish delivered by a local establishment was helping them to feel less isolated while at home. More than three quarters (79%) of people were aware of a local establishment that had adapted their businesses to offer deliveries in response to closures. Concern about the survival of local businesses and supporting the livelihood of local people was the primary reason behind orders. Difficulty finding stock in
supermarkets was the second driver for orders. Beyond purchasing takeaway meals and drinks, 15% of people indicated they were keen to show support by purchasing ingredients and groceries direct from their local pub or restaurant. The findings show that Brits do #supportlocal and follows widespread use of the popular hashtag on social media. It was mentioned more than 20,000 times in 24 hours on the day pubs and restaurants closed**. High Speed Training, which provides online training to the sector, commissioned the research. Sarah Taylor, a specialist in hospitality at High Speed Training, said: “It is fantastic to see local communities coming together to support each other. Our research shows that not only are members of the public keen to support the livelihoods of local people and businesses, but those same businesses are providing a much-needed comfort to people at home. It is clear that there is still an important role for local pubs, bars, cafes and restaurants at the heart of their communities.”
steps to amend insolvency laws to help protect companies weakened by the impact of coronavirus. “It is right that the rules on wrongful trading are temporarily suspended to ensure that directors are not penalised for doing all they can to save companies and jobs during this turbulent period. “Companies that were viable before the outbreak must be supported to ensure they can help power the recovery when the immediate crisis is over.” “Cashflow remains an urgent concern for many businesses, so it’s vital that government support packages reach businesses and people on the ground as soon as possible.”
National Living Wage Increases By 6.2% The National Living Wage (NLW) rate has increased by 6.2% to £8.72.
the impacts of these extraordinary circumstances.
The statutory minimum wage for workers aged 25 and over increases from £8.21 following recommendations made to the government by the Low Pay Commission (LPC) in the autumn.
“Under our new remit, the government asks us to monitor the labour market and the impacts of the National Living Wage closely, advise on any emerging risks and – if the economic evidence warrants it – recommend that the government reviews its target or timeframe. This is what the government refers to as the ‘emergency brake’.
The rise is more than three times the rate of inflation and takes hourly pay for people aged 25 and over to £8.72, and has been welcomed by unions and comes as many workers across the country are on reduced pay because of the coronavirus lockdown. A further increase to the National Minimum Wage will also see pay increases for younger workers of between 4.6% and 6.5%. For 21- to 24-year-olds this will be a 6.5% increase from £7.70 to £8.20 an hour. Bryan Sanderson, chair of the Low Pay Commission, said: “Many of the nation’s key workers – in, for example, the care sector, agriculture, transport and retail – are lowpaid, are continuing to work in very difficult conditions and will benefit from today’s increase. At the same time, the government has introduced a comprehensive package of support for employers to lessen
“The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic clearly represents a very challenging set of circumstances for workers and employers alike, and will require us to review whether the emergency brake is required when we next provide our advice to the government. This advice will be crucially dependent as always on the economic data we receive.” From April 1st , the new rates are: • The National Living Wage for ages 25 and above – up 6.2% to £8.72 • The National Minimum Wage for 21 to 24year-olds – up 6.5% to £8.20 • For 18 to 20-year-olds – up 4.9% to £6.45 • For under-18s – up 4.6% to £4.55 • For apprentices – up 6.4% to £4.15
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Key Take-Outs for New Takeaways: How to Adapt Your Business During Lockdown closed their doors to dine-in customers, the popular hashtag was used more than 13,000 times per day on average, an increase of 72% on the seven days prior*.
Sarah Taylor is a Content Author at High Speed Training, the specialist online training provider to the hospitality sector. She advises cafes, pubs and restaurants on how they can adapt their business for delivery services in response to Government guidelines: “Following the Government’s call to close cafes, pubs and restaurants, many establishments have taken the initiative to temporarily change their business models and operate solely as a ‘takeaway’ or delivery service. Customers are keen to show their support, as demonstrated by the widespread use of #supportlocal on social media. During the week businesses
“We conducted research this week with more than 2,000 members of the public**. The nationally representative survey highlighted continued widespread support and demand for local hospitality venues to “From a marketing perspective, a quarter of people serve their communities during lockdown – 83% of (25%) indicated that they would like to be made people would order food and drink to enjoy at home. aware of healthy meal options. Online interaction whether via websites or social media channels was “While the new legislation allowing takeaway and revealed to be the least likely way to prompt an delivery services, as well as the online public support, order, for example hosting virtual cooking classes. represents a much-needed lifeline for hospitality businesses, it brings with it new challenges and a steep “Looking internally, implementing new operations at learning curve to ensure operations are run effectively the same time as meeting a surge in demand for delivand safely. New food hygiene procedures and contact- ery can be extremely difficult for businesses to manless delivery methods are two of the many considera- age. Wherever possible, businesses should try to tions that managers across the UK are grappling with. develop short, medium and long-term contingency plans that factor in processes for keeping standards “To help guide pubs, cafes and restaurants as they high, timely order fulfilment and balancing good stock create new survival strategies, we asked the nation levels of fresh ingredients. what would make them more likely to order a takeaway or delivery service from their ‘local’. Paying “One of the biggest challenges will be choosing how online and the promise of high food hygiene standards to fulfil orders. Look at the benefits and limitations were the two most popular criteria, both voted for by for delivering food direct to customers or signing up 42% of Brits, providing a useful indicator for the infor- to a delivery provider if within a catchment area. The mation businesses should be promoting. ‘Contactless’ likes of Deliveroo and Uber Eats have recently pubdelivery with no face-to-face contact was third (28%). lished guidelines for restaurants as they see sign-ups
CAMRA Furloughs Half Its Staff To Protect The Campaign The Campaign for Real Ale has decided to furlough nearly half of its staff in order to protect its ability to campaign for as long as possible during the COVID crisis, as well as secure the jobs of all staff for as long as possible. The organisation’s National Executive agreed with a senior staff team recommendation to place 20 of its 48 staff members on furlough from the start of April, which will allow the Campaign to seek 80 per cent of their salaries from the government.
“Recognising the demands on supermarkets currently, many people also pointed to a preference to avoid stores where possible (25%), or a lack of available delivery slots (22%), which provides a solid rationale for businesses selling groceries direct to the public such as freshly made pasta and sauces.
The committee also agreed to top up salaries to 95 per cent, to ensure staff did not suffer an interruption in pay, or put at risk of financial difficulties during the period. Due to the cancellation of all festivals and event, plus the closure of the CAMRA office and warehouse, it was judged those staff members were currently unable to carry out their duties. The decision will preserve funds, ensuring that CAMRA can continue to operate for as long as pos-
sible through the period, continue to campaign effectively and prevent the need for more permanent measures. CAMRA chief executive Tom Stainer said: “The cancellation of all our beer festivals is already having a huge impact on our budget. It’s also going to undoubtedly have a massive impact on our ability to recruit and retain members, which will have a further knock-on effect on our finances. We’re pleased the National Executive has taken decisive action to find a way through this and make sure we’re in the best position possible when we can all get back to normality.”
in urban areas soar. Those outside of their catchment areas or that prefer to go solo may prefer to utilise software from the likes of Access Hospitality. Whichever route is chosen, the method of serving customers needs to adhere to the legal requirements for food delivery services and work efficiently for both the business and consumer. “As well as choosing the most convenient delivery model, businesses should also review and condense their menu to streamline their service and adjust opening hours to target peak time periods in order to guarantee profitability. These are disruptive and defining times for the hospitality sector, and businesses need to be reacting quickly to the constantly evolving situation. Fully grasping how and why Brits are changing their eating habits, as well as carefully reviewing how best to modify their offering are just some of the simple steps businesses need to be taking into account in order to keep up with the change in demand.” High Speed Training is sharing expert advice with hospitality businesses to help adapt to new delivery methods, simply visit www.highspeedtraining.co.uk for more information. * Source: Meltwater, 23rd March 2020. **Source: Nationally representative survey of 2,000 adults in the UK, conducted 25th - 26th March 2020 by OnePoll. Commissioned by High Speed Training.
CAMRA chairman Nik Antona said: “It was important we took action now to not only protect CAMRA as a campaigning organisation, but also protect and support our hard-working staff, some of whom, through no fault of their own, are no longer able to undertake their jobs. “While we hope the COVID restrictions will last a relatively short time, and that we’ll be welcoming all staff back to work in a few months, this will help keep CAMRA operational and able to campaign for beer and cider drinkers and support pubs, clubs breweries and producers for as long as possible if the crisis does last longer than we fear.”
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Forum of Private Business Joins the Clamour to Give Pubs a Rent Holiday 16 March requesting that they play their part in preserving the survival of the sector rather than demanding rental payments notwithstanding that the pubs have had no alternative but to close, and as a result simply have no cashflow to cover rentals. Additionally the Forum has joined forces with accountancy group Fairmile Accountancy who operate the Facebook group ‘The Pub Owners Network Group’. Through this the Forum is working to share information to impacted pub tenants. Leading business support body, the Forum of Private Business has joined the demand trending on social media for pubs forced to close as a result of the coronavirus crisis to be given rent holidays by the PubCo’s. The Forum wrote to all the main PubCo’s on the
Commenting from the Forum, Chief Executive Ian Cass said, “We are facing the closure of hundreds of pubs up and down the country. The Government has shown its support in several ways which will help enormously, but it is unforgivable then for the PubCo’s not to play their part too. There is a history of the PubCo’s using unfair tactics, in breach of the Pub Code, forcing tenants from their pubs so that
they can then realise profits from developing the sites. The attitude of some of the PubCo’s is once again making this a likely outcome, with many communities suffering as a result. We strongly urge the Government to put pressure on all the PubCo’s to do the responsible thing and bring in rental holidays across the board and I have written to Paul Scully, the Small Business Minister accordingly.” CAMRA also reiterated its call for pub owning companies to cancel rents for licensees during this unprecedented period of uncertainty during the COVID-19 crisis. National Chairman of CAMRA Nik Antona said: “CAMRA welcomes the move by businesses such as Admiral Taverns and Fullers to cancel rent for their pub tenants in recognition of the unique circumstances we are in.
Hilton Bournemouth Donates Food to Encore Care Homes homes collected the food supplies with the remaining items, where possible, going to the local foodbank.
Fiona Radford, Sales and Marketing Director at Encore care homes, said: “It’s been wonderful to receive this kind gesture of fresh food. Our own suppliers are working hard to keep us well stocked and this will give our residents more to enjoy during this challenging time. We can’t wait to see what our talented chefs and catering teams will create in the kitchen!”
RESIDENTS at Encore care homes were delighted to receive food donated by Hilton Bournemouth this week. Hilton Bournemouth was one of the many hotels and food outlets that had to close last week due to the coronavirus lockdown, directive from the Government. Instead of throwing away the fresh food, they chose to donate it to the Encore care homes in Christchurch, Bournemouth and Poole, so residents could enjoy it. Delivery drivers from the care
Fiona added: “Having worked previously in the hospitality and tourism sector, it’s become apparent that we share the same people focused skills and behaviours. We are now looking for new team members in our care homes from this background, as they are so transferable and relevant.” Jon Fisher, Director of Sales of Hilton Bournemouth, said: "With the current situation, it wouldn’t be responsible to let our food go to waste. We’ve provided food for our staff and recognised the needs of the wider community. Hilton Hotels have many ongoing actions in the community and volunteer groups in each region, where we’re working hard to give something back during these unprecedented times."
“We are now calling on other pub owning businesses to follow those examples and listen to the concerns of tenants, and of pubgoers who want their locals to survive this crisis. “Pub owning companies must cancel rents during this period – deferring until a later date simply doesn’t go far enough. Rent for publicans is based on turnover so it makes sense that when a pub is closed and doesn’t have a turnover they shouldn’t have to pay any rent. “The Government is rightly offering support to pub owning companies with financial and employment schemes so that staff can still be paid and so that businesses can re-open once Covid-19 restrictions are lifted. It is only right that support is passed down to individual licensees in the form of rent holidays to protect their pubs and livelihoods.”
Music Licensing Fees SuspendedAmid Coronavirus Crisis Music licensing organisation PPL PRS have announced that venues will not have to pay its licensing fees for the period that they are closed due to COVID-19, and will adapt its payment policies accordingly. The organisation said that there will be changes to its payment system “to introduce further flexibility, including deferred payments, for customers during this difficult period”. And it has temporarily suspended late payment surcharges. In a statement, the organisation said: “PPL PRS fully appreciates the pressures affecting many businesses across the UK as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. “We wish to reassure customers of TheMusicLicence that we are introducing a number of measures to support them during these unprecedented times.” To help pubs/bars hotels and restaurants PPL PRS have issued a Q&A guidance section on their website https://pplprs.co.uk/business-update/
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Hospitality Sector Makes 20,000 Hotel Beds Available to Key Workers Almost 200 hotels have made over 20,000 beds available around the UK for NHS staff and other vital workers, following a call from hospitality trade body UKHospitality.
placed on businesses, key workers and the NHS is visible. At such a time, it is vital that the nation’s resources are best used to support those who need it and help us all get through.
Beds in hotels across the country have been provided by hotels of differing size, from national chains to single sites, to help house key workers being deployed to areas of high need.
“It is very heartening to see so many hotels make themselves available to help host NHS staff and other vital workers. The hospitality sector has been devastated by the crisis and hotels have been forced to weather a huge blow. Many companies have already looked to help by providing beds and it is great that so many more have answered UKH’s call to provide support where it is needed most.
The 20,000 beds have been offered on top of the many thousands already made available by individual hotel companies. UKH has been liaising with representatives for key workers, including Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, to ensure that those helping to battle COVID-19 are supported. UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls said: “This is an unprecedented crisis and the strain being
“Housing key workers in hotels that are otherwise sitting empty will, we hope, ease the strain on those services battling to tackle the spread of the coronavirus. It could also help save hotels at very real risk of going out of business and keep people in work at
a time when many people’s jobs are at risk. “UKHospitality will be liaising with the Government to offer its support and we are ready to help coordinate any efforts to support businesses, staff and emergency services.” Assistant Chief Officer Stuart Stevens, Director of Service Delivery, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service added: “Scottish Fire and Rescue Service would like to thank UKHospitality for their support during this challenging time. UKH have worked extremely hard identifying businesses that are willing to provide accommodation to our key workers across Scotland, this assists SFRS in ensuring we have the right people with the right skills in the right place to keep the communities of Scotland safe.” Hotels wishing to help should contact Richard Clifford: rclifford@ukhospitality.org.uk
Caterer.Com Becomes Hub To Help Hospitality Workers Find Short-Term Roles In Other Sectors shown that logistics has seen a 64% increase in vacancies and health and pharmacy a 43% increase.
With an estimated 500,000 hospitality workers expected to be made redundant or temporarily out of work due to COVID-19, the UK’s largest hospitality jobs board, Caterer.com, and highly-respected trade body, UKHospitality, have worked together to create a new jobs hub that will help hospitality workers find short-term roles in other sectors. While the pandemic has reduced the number of hospitality jobs currently available, thousands of job opportunities have been analysed to create the Hospitality Redeployment Hub featuring 26,000 jobs. It has been created to help hospitality workers find suitable jobs until they can return to roles in the sector. Jobs on the hub have been hand-picked across a range sectors including customer service (7,561 available roles), logistics (8,191 driver roles available) and cleaning (3,285 roles available). Positions include Warehouse Operative, Retail Assistant and Care Assistant at employers including Lidl, Superdrug, Amazon, Hermes and Co-op. While hospitality has been one of the worst affected industries, the pandemic has seen the creation of thousands of essential new shortterm roles and the transferrable skills of hospitality workers make many an ideal fit. Research from leading jobs board Totaljobs has
Neil Pattison, Director at Caterer.com, said: “The team at Caterer.com are acutely aware of the pressure everyone in the hospitality industry is facing, and we’re doing everything we can to help through this devastating time. We’ve partnered with industry body UKHospitality and industry charity Hospitality Action to make Caterer.com a jobs hub to help displaced hospitality staff find short term employment in other sectors. “Our connection with Totaljobs and our vast hospitality candidate database means we’re uniquely positioned to help in this way and we’re delighted that we can pull on these resources. All hospitality employees in the UK can directly tap into this free service to search and apply for thousands of roles in sectors such as retail, distribution and care. The hospitality sector is resilient, as are its people. When the industry thrives again, Caterer.com along with its partners will help welcome these candidates back to hospitality.” Kate Nicholls, Chief Executive from UKHospitality comments: “The scale of the crisis we are collectively facing is unprecedented, so hospitality businesses have had to make the incredibly difficult decision to lay team members off. We want to give our fantastic workforce all the support we can to help them through this difficult period. Caterer.com and Hospitality Action have helped coordinate efforts at a very difficult time. This is another magnificent example of how the sector is supporting its own workers, who are naturally very worried. This initiative will
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help people find work in other sectors also feeling the strain until the hospitality sector is in a position to help pick up the pieces and bring our hard-working teams back together.” Mark Lewis, CEO of Hospitality Action comments: “In recent weeks the hospitality industry has had to come to terms with an existential threat. We’re delighted to be standing shoulder to shoulder with Caterer.com and UKHospitality as they rally together to provide employment opportunities to many thousands of hospitality’s most vulnerable people. This innovative solution will enable some of the people currently being awarded crisis grants by Hospitality Action to pay bills and feed their families. Employers can look forward to welcoming an army of highly trained, motivated, passionate and professional hospitality people to their ranks.” Alongside the new hub for hospitality workers, Caterer.com is also channelling funds, volunteering hours and resources into industry charities such as Hospitality Action and Only A Pavement Away, who now need significant additional help to extend their support to the growing number in the sector who need it. This includes fundraising and re-purposing the Customer Service team to contact those most in need of help in the sector, on behalf of Hospitality Action. The non-hospitality jobs now appearing on Caterer.com are powered by Totaljobs, one of the UK’s biggest jobs boards which works with some of the UK’s biggest employers. To search and apply and for further advice, support and toolkits visit www.caterer.com.
Further Details of Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme Announced New guidance on Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme Published. • government to cover employer National Insurance and pension contributions of furloughed workers – on top of 80% of salary • those furloughed can volunteer for the NHS without risking their pay Businesses furloughing staff during the coronavirus outbreak will receive further financial support – with the costs of employer national insurance and pension contributions being covered by the government. Under the scheme, employers can claim a grant covering 80% of the wages for a furloughed employee, subject to a cap of £2,500 a month. In a move that could save businesses an extra £300 a month for each employee under the scheme,the government will now cover the employer national insurance and minimum auto-enrollment pension scheme contributions employers pay on the wages they must pay their furloughed staff – on top of the wages covered under the scheme. Chancellor of the Exchequer Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP said: Since the start of the coronavirus outbreak, I’ve made it clear that hard-working employers and employees should not have to suffer hardship unnecessarily. Our Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme supports workers and businesses up and down the UK – and today we’re strengthening it because we will do whatever it takes to support jobs. New guidance on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme published by the government also confirmed that those made redundant after 28 February can be reemployed and placed on furlough. Those on furlough will also be permitted to volunteer without risking their pay – and will be able to
join the 500,000 members of the public who have signed up to help the NHS during the coronavirus outbreak. The scheme is part of an unprecedented package of measures announced by the Chancellor to protect individuals and businesses. Pano Christou, CEO, Pret A Manger said: At Pret, our number one priority has been to look after our Team Members and protect jobs. We had already made a commitment to keep jobs across Pret for as long as possible, but thanks to the Government’s support can also keep paying all of 8,000 UK employees, despite the fact that our UK shops are not currently open. We’re grateful to the Chancellor for his support through this crisis – and in turn, we’ve been doing whatever we can to help the national effort, supporting NHS workers with discounted food and coffee, as well as giving all our surplus food to people in need. We stand ready to help further over the coming weeks and are actively looking at what more we can do. James Watt, Co-Founder, BrewDog said: The generous support plans introduced by the government are positive and have allowed us to better look after our people and business. This has allowed us to keep doing our best to ensure our business survives and we protect as many jobs as we can. James Timpson, CEO, Timpson Group said: The support that the government has given to business is vital to keep people employed, and to ensure we can plan our futures with more certainty. The package of support given makes our future secure and our colleagues and suppliers can sleep well at night now.
West Yorkshire Restaurant Launches Free Family Meals Fundraiser for Frontline NHS Staff A crowdfunding campaign has been launched by award-winning Punch Bar & Tapas to increase capacity of its NHS Menu initiative – providing hundreds of free family meals for NHS employees working hard to fight the Covid-19 outbreak over the next three months. Over 1,000 NHS family meal orders have been placed since the campaign launched on Saturday 21 March. This follows an initial donation of £20,000 from Honley residents, Ian and Jill Swire, to provide 200 free family meals a week until June. The restaurant, in Honley near Huddersfield, is keen to increase the number of meals to 500 a week to meet demand and allow as many doctors, nurses and NHS staff as possible to make the most of the treat. The fundraiser currently stands at £22,555. A donation of £10 provides one meal a week for an NHS family; £100 provides a family meal a week for the next 10 weeks: www.gofundme.com/f/9yrd84nhs-menu-punch-bar-amp-tapas The restaurant is also ensuring that no food goes to waste by providing Honley Volunteers group and the NLCC Foodbank in Thongsbridge with any excess meals to distribute amongst vulnerable people in the local community. Wayne Roddis, Punch Bar & Tapas co-owner and chef, said: “The response has been absolutely incredible. We’ve received hundreds of messages of support, both publicly and privately, with many people saying it has brought tears to their eyes. With over 1,000 orders having already been placed, including for the June dates, we’re keen to increase capacity to ensure as many frontline NHS workers as possible can enjoy our meals. We hope that, by offering fresh, nutritious, homemade meals for NHS
staff and their families, we can make these difficult days a little bit easier.” He added: “It would be fantastic if our community could come together to provide hundreds more meals for our hardworking #NHSheroes – let’s treat those who are treating us!” NHS staff are invited to complete an online registration form to receive a link to make their menu selection, on a first-come-first-served basis. The family meals serve up to four people.
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Generational Trends Over Sustainability Present Issues for Alcohol Brands Issue 2
Parker adds: “Despite the opportunities for innovation and demographic targeting still to be had in such a mature market, alcohol brands face some growing macro-level issues. Climate change, and the unpredictable effects this is having on the supply chain, is undermining regular and sustainable approaches to production and consumption. This will force change in available products.
The company’s latest report, ‘Top Trends in Alcoholic Drinks’, notes that while traditional flavors in alcohol hold sway over consumers’ choices in a top-line sense, a different picture emerges when reviewing flavor choices by generation and gender. Gen Z, who are still relatively ‘new’ drinkers, are not bound by traditional flavors – with 31% opting for new, trendy options and 30% choosing flavors classed as unusual.
“This generational landscape creates a fertile territory for products
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duce interesting flavor notes and unique premium narratives through the use of storage and aging techniques from other categories, such as beer stored in wine or spirit barrels, or taking flavors from food products.
A tension exists in alcoholic drinks between consumers’ established preferences, market norms, openness to innovation, and products that cross traditional category or flavor lines. Creative and edgy innovation works best when it retains a connection to the familiar, allowing consumers to experiment and try new things, but with a degree of confidence. says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
Richard Parker, Principal Consumer Insight Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Gen Z consumers are influenced by the newness and trendiness of flavors, as promoted through social media, and by visual as well as flavor aspects*
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such as hybrid beverages, which marry familiar categories in new and exciting ways – for example ‘vodquila’ or ‘rumquila’. Hybrids can intro-
“Climate change affecting barley yields could lead to beer shortages and rising prices of barley (and beer) – subsequently resulting in a fall in global consumption. The risk of falling supply and significantly boosted prices means that brands will need to give consumers strong reasons to continue to purchase their products as premium becomes luxury and standard products effectively premium in price.” *GlobalData 2019 Q4 global consumer survey
Deliveroo To Provide 500,000 Free Meals To NHS Staff Deliveroo has promised to deliver 500,000 free meals to NHS workers across the country as the UK and NHS struggles with the coronavirus outbreak.
While the food delivery service said the majority of meals will go to NHS staff, Deliveroo said it will continue to deliver free food to vulnerable people during the pandemic.
The delivery firm said it has begun providing meals to NHS trusts, while customers will be able to donate funds to buy food for doctors and nurses through its app.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “The nation needs the NHS like never before, and we must support every single colleague in the NHS.
The delivery platform has teamed up with restaurants to offer free food for frontline workers. They’ve asking restaurants to give free foods, which they will then take to the NHS staff. Pizza Hut has already donated 300,000 meals, which will include pizza, side salads, pasta and other options for NHS workers near their UK Huts. Deliveroo, who will raise funds to support the campaign, said Itsu and Lewis Hamilton’s plant-based Neat Burger restaurant had also made donations. Photo by www.shopblocks.com
Meals have already started being delivered to NHS trusts in London and will be increased to cater to more hospitals across the UK.
“I’m delighted that Deliveroo and partners are playing their part in this great national effort with half a million meals for the NHS. “We can best come through this if we pull together.” CEO and founder of Deliveroo Will Shu said: “Those in the NHS working night and day to save lives are the real heroes of this crisis, and we want to do our small part to support them and the vulnerable who aren’t able to leave their homes. “Thanks to our dedicated riders, the generosity of our restaurant partners and their teams who are keeping kitchens open to serve those most in need, we hope to be able to make a difference.”
Do You Really Know How Your Staff Are Feeling? We are in the early stages of a global health crisis. The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted and rearranged the workplace with breath-taking speed. Protecting lives is the first priority, but we must also protect our livelihoods. With dramatic increases in layoffs and remote working, organisations are likely to see reductions in employee engagement, morale and possibly productivity, due to an increased sense of loneliness, isolation and anxiety.
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Introducing Proper Bar Snacks by SCT
For business leaders, there's never been a more critical time to keep close to EMPLOYEES and to track their sentiment. Here are two things that you can do right now, to weather the storm and come through it in great shape when the upturn happens:
1.) Engage and support your staff: • Communicate clearly and effectively to share actionable information at a speed that helps staff take critical decisions • Engage and connect with employees to manage any loneliness and isolation of remote workers • Offer reassurance and support to employees about how the crisis is affecting the business and implications • Motivate employees by encouraging them to think about the rebirth and growth of the organisation once things settle down
2.) Monitor their wellbeing • Continually gauge stress and engagement levels • Whatever measures you have put in place, check with your staff that they are perceived as actually working • Adapt over time, and do not assume that what you have done cannot be enhanced and improved Member Offer Finger on the Pulse Research (FOTP) specialises in obtaining feedback for clients from their key stakeholder groups. Typically, these include employees, customers and suppliers. Being an independent third
party, they can enable your employees to speak more openly and truthfully about what they are going through so that you can a more targeted approach to supporting them. FOTP are offering you the opportunity to be able to survey your staff at a heavily discounted rate. Their "Quick Pulse" surveys can help you acquire an independent, robust and objective understanding of what your employees think and are feeling. They are flexible, and will tailor the surveys to the specific needs of your business.
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Join Us For A Pint At The Red (On)Lion – CAMRA
CAMRA has created a virtual pub where beer and cider drinkers as well as regular pub-goers can get together for a pint to help tackle loneliness and social isolation felt during the Coronavirus lockdown and the closure of the nation’s pubs. The Red (On)Lion is a video platform where anyone can enjoy a lively chat over a beer or cider. There is a ‘main bar’ area, and visitors can also create or book a table to set up video conferencing with their friends. Tables can take part in games, such as Heads Up and Charades, or participants can tune into ‘presentations’ and events such as pub quizzes taking place around the country, expert-led tutored tastings and more, bringing all virtual social activities into one place for the pub-seeker. Forthcoming virtual events include ‘Tasty Tuesday’ virtual tastings with: 14 April – British brews with master trainer Christine Cryne 21 April – Intro to cider with ciderologist Gabe Cook 28 April – Belgian beers with beer sommelier Jane Peyton 12 May – Hombrewer Andy Parker explains all on homebrewing 19 May – Podcaster Emma Inch to discuss sustainability in beer The platform also supports Facebook LIVE streaming for pub quizzes and other events run by brewers and pubs, who can easily submit them for sharing at:
They provide high-quality snacks to retail and trade customers, including pork crackling and nuts. They have been creating these products for more than 10 years, and they are proud of the service that they are able to offer. The recipes have always stayed in the family, and this is how they are able to create their quality products.
https://theredonlion.co.uk/events The Red (On)Lion is the social arm of CAMRA’s #PullingTogether campaign, which was launched just two weeks ago with SIBA and Crowdfunder to support the brewing and pub industry during this difficult time.
PROPER PORK CRACKLING 9 flavours
Pub participants are encouraged to share what beer they’re sampling while visiting the Red (On)Lion. To make it easier to support local brewers and pubs, CAMRA has consolidated a list of initiatives, such as takeaway or delivery services, to act as an easy reference guide for the public. To find a pub, brewery or cidery offering local services, simply visit www.camra.org.uk/pullingtogether/ Nik Antona, CAMRA’s National Chairman said: “While nothing can replace the community created by a real local pub, we wanted to create a home where the nation’s beer and cider drinkers can come together for a chat and a drink. We’re all experiencing social isolation and loneliness, so now it is more important than ever before to come together as a community to support one another. “We also know that there are so many great events and activities already set up and running online, and we’d love to help amplify the voice and impact of those events while creating a place where beer drinkers can find all virtual events taking place with one click of a button. “To join us for a pint, simply visit theredonlion.co.uk We look forward to seeing you for 5pm Beer O’Clock tonight!”
50g pots £0.77 RRP £2
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FOR MORE DETAILS CALL 01202 875280 OR EMAIL trade@sct-sct.com
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Screach Steps Up to Help Pubs in Their Time of Need The streaming service for commercial premises, Screach, has put focus and resources into creating an online hub packed with resources to help pubs navigate the COVID-19 crisis. The Government’s instruction to all pubs and restaurants to close poses the greatest challenge in a generation to the UK’s hospitality sector. In response, Screach has diverted team members, time and technology to do its bit to help. It has also paused all new billing to its customers until further notice.
• A guide to the practicalities of repurposing a pub kitchen into a takeaway that will generate revenue to pay staff salaries, and how best to run a delivery service • An interactive forum sharing stories, advice and support from the pub front
line – offering the sector a chance to pull together and pull through • A weekly newsletter giving highlights of the latest developments and top tips Robert Rawlinson, CEO of Screach, commented: “Few sectors are feeling the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic more immediately or severely than our own. As a technology company that serves the hospitality sector, we stand shoulder to shoulder with Britain’s pubs – and we are determined to do our bit to help. “The Government has announced an array of support measures that pub owners and managers can use to keep their heads above water in the coming months. But finding the right information can be hard, so we’re collating and curating – to create a hub that will give them a simple, easy to use summary of the options available to them.
The technology company, which created the first platform to allow pubs to stream live sport onto their existing TVs, is now building a forum that pub operators and managers can use to learn more about the Government support on offer and the practicalities of turning a pub kitchen into a financially viable takeaway operation serving its local community. The free hub will also be a place for pubs to share tips, ideas and even staff as the industry is forced to adapt to survive. While the hub will be added to and extended in response to future developments, the key elements will be:
“For pubs contemplating using the newly relaxed planning rules to turn their kitchen into a takeaway operation, we’ve created a guide to the practicalities and considerations involved. Running a successful takeaway offers pubs a financial lifeline and the chance to provide a vital service for their local community.
• A simple guide to the array of Government support measures available to pubs, from grants and loans to the facility allowing employers to ‘furlough’ staff and have the Government pay 80% of their salaries
“Above all we want to show pubs that they are not alone, and encourage everyone in the sector to pull together, so we can all pull through these difficult times.”
St Pancras Hotel Group: A Safe Haven for NHS Workers hotel rooms lying virtually empty, operations manager Christian Kaberg has taken the decision to create a positive impact during this impossible time for London and the nation as a whole. Offered as a self-service apartment, the rooms offer a flexi booking service meaning no pre booking is required and are available for however long anyone needs them.
From doctors through to volunteers, for anyone currently working in NHS hospitals local to Kings Cross, this service will no doubt provide a very welcome retreat. Address Details
In order to ensure a safe stay, stringent hygiene measures are of course in place and include: The St Pancras Hotel group located in Kings Cross, London will be providing a safe haven for all NHS staff during the COVID-19 outbreak. The three hotels that make up the group are The Gyle, The California and The Megaro. With their
• Contactless check in • Disinfection schedules in all operational areas are being maintained and monitored • Sanitising stations are provided for guests and team members alike • All safety procedures are implemented, reviewed and tested for compliance and functionality.
The Megaro (1 Belgrove St, London WC1H 8AB) www.themegaro.co.uk The Gyle ( 16-18 Argyle Square, London WC1H 8AS) www.thegyle.co.uk The California (4-8 Belgrove St, London WC1H 8AB) www.thecalifornialondon.com
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Here's How Employers Should Be Protecting Their Essential Workers, Say Top Lawyers to return to normal working within four weeks of the date of the notice, for a period of 13 continuous weeks. Statutory redundancy pay is calculated using the employee's normal pay before the period of lay-off/short-time working. The employment contract continues during lay-off or short-term working, so employees can still take pre-arranged annual leave during the period.
Furloughing “Furloughing” is the practice of agreeing with employees that they will not work for you for a given period of time. It is a new scheme introduced by the Government in response to the Covid-19 crisis and designed to reduce redundancies. Employers can claim a grant of up to 80% of their wage for all employment costs, up to a cap of £2,500 per month, per “furloughed” worker.
As the impact of the coronavirus crisis grows every day, the way in which businesses must work has changed dramatically. Many workers in this situation are now working remotely but what can be said for those still needing to attend work?
The scheme will initially run for a three-month period, back-dated from 1 March 2020. Further details will be announced by the government shortly.
Unpaid leave and holidays It is uncommon for employment contracts to include an express provision that allows the employer to request their employees to take unpaid leave. However, this may be an agreement you can make as an alternative to redundancies or lay-offs.
For those classified as ‘key workers’, working in the health and education sectors, various supply chains, including food manufacture and supply and those conducting construction and health and safety projects, it is business as usual.
The usual contractual variation principles will apply and the arrangement should be properly documented.
These professions and services have been identified as essential to the function and wellbeing of the country and society and, as such, must continue to operate.
During the period of unpaid leave, holiday can still accrue as the employment relationship continues. This is the same as other statutory leave, such as sick leave and family-related leave.
For employers of these key workers, there has been uncertainty and confusion regarding your rights and responsibilities. Here we have advice from Sheilah Cummins, Louise Plant and Graham Mead of Prettys Solicitors, Ipswich...
However, the European Court of Justice has distinguished between layoffs and, for example, sick leave, Unlike sick leave, a laid off worker can still enjoy recreational activities and benefit from the rest and relaxation objective of holiday. It could, therefore, be argued that holiday accrual should be suspended but legal advice should be taken before applying this principle.
EMPLOYMENT - Sheilah Cummins, Associate Laying off and short time working The knock-on supply and demand effects of the pandemic across sectors will no doubt impact workloads and shift patterns for many businesses. This has posed questions on whether employers can lay off staff or reduce their hours. Any change to your employees' working hours or pay, will constitute a variation of contract and the normal principles relating to contract variations will apply. Therefore, you will either need to have an express contractual right to lay them off or place them on short time working, or you will need to obtain your employees’ agreement to the change. Without these, there will be a breach of contract that may entitle the employee to resign and claim constructive unfair dismissal and/or unlawful deduction from wages. We recommend that you check your contracts before coming to a decision and, if the position remains unclear, seek legal advice.
Employee rights An employee may be eligible for a statutory guarantee payment, if they have at least one month’s continuous employment and there has been an occurrence that impacts the business’ normal workings and one that affects the employee’s role in particular. For full-time employees, the payment is limited to five days in any three-month period and is pro-rated for part-time employees. Employees may also be entitled to terminate their employment and claim a statutory redundancy payment when a lay-off or short-time period has lasted for four consecutive weeks, or a total of 6 weeks (of which no more than three were consecutive) within a 13 week period. If an employee intends to do this, they must serve you with a notice. As an employer, you can serve a counter-notice contesting your liability to pay the redundancy payment, if you believe they would likely be able
Employers may also be able to ask staff to take holiday during this time but the speed at which you can enforce this depends on whether there is a contractual right to do so. However, we are in uncharted territory and given that the alternative involves making redundancies or reducing working hours, a more immediate requirement to take holiday may be deemed “reasonable". If there is no contractual right that requires staff to take holiday, so you will need to rely on statutory notice provisions instead. This means that you need to give staff notice of at least twice the length of the period of leave that you are asking them to take. If an employee is currently on sick leave, you will not be able to force them to take their statutory annual leave. Similarly, it would be a breach of the implied term of mutual trust and confidence to unreasonably cancel an employee's holiday that has already been authorised and, in doing so, you could risk a constructive unfair dismissal claim being brought against you. However, under the current circumstances it would be advisable to speak to the employee first in order to reach an agreement.
Self-isolation and pay Those who follow government advice to stay at home and who cannot work as a result will be eligible for statutory sick pay (SSP), even if they are not themselves sick. Online self-isolation notes are now available from the NHS website (https://111.nhs.uk/isolation-note/). In response to the widespread pandemic, SSP is being paid temporarily from the first day of absence (and not from the fourth) and backdated to cover absences from 13 March 2020. Employers will also be allowed to recover SSP from the government. Further details of this scheme are expected in the coming months. As many workers may not actually be sick when in self-isolation, they will not automatically be entitled to contract sick pay. Although, ACAS has advised that it is ‘good practice’ to offer this to employees.
Withdrawing job offers Job offers that have not yet been accepted can be withdrawn as no contact is in place. If an offer has been accepted and the conditions attached to that offer have been satisfied, a contract will be in place, so withdrawing the offer will constitute a breach of contract, unless a notice of termination is given in line with it.
Whether or not you are required to pay notice will depend on when the offer was withdrawn, how much notice the candidate was entitled to under the contract and when the employment was due to start.
HEALTH AND SAFETY – Louise Plant, Head of Personal Injury As things develop, it goes without saying that the advice and guidance from the government should be followed in terms of whether or not your business can or should remain open. Where possible, employers are advised to make arrangements for their employees to work from home, and maintain, again where possible, a skeleton staff (if at all) at the place of business itself to limit the number of people in one place. There are additional simple steps that can be taken within the workplace to ensure people who can still work from the premises are kept safe from the coronavirus. Employers should take steps, such as providing staff with sanitizing hand gel or wipes and take measures to ensure that good hygiene is enforced across the business as far as possible, as well as making employees aware of safe distances and avoiding physical contact where possible. It goes without saying that, if any employees were scheduled to travel to affected regions that steps are taken to postpone those visits. If you are aware that you have a pre-existing illness or condition that makes you more vulnerable, then you should flag this up to your employer, so that appropriate steps such as isolation of that person where appropriate can be taken. The situation is continuing to move and change at a fast pace. But, overall, it is of paramount importance that both employers and employees do all they can to act in a way that reduces the risk of the virus spreading, and taking all and any steps necessary as directed by either the authorities or by the business, and that everyone does their bit to assist accordingly.
BUSINESS CONTRACTS – Graham Mead, Partner Because contracts usually deal with what is foreseeable, it is unlikely that there would be a specific clause in an existing contact that covered a situation like the coronavirus. However, many contracts do have a Force Majeure clause and the current coronavirus scenario may qualify under it. A Force Majeure clause potentially allows a party to a contract that cannot perform its obligations under it to limit its liability. A Force Majeure clause may contain a list of events that qualify, and this frequently includes epidemics, pandemics and government intervention. If such a clause does cover the current coronavirus situation, then a business would need to take the appropriate steps to invoke the clause under the contract and to also understand what this would mean. Sometimes the clause may mean the contract is suspended, liability may be excused, extensions of time may be granted or the parties have the right to renegotiate or terminate. If you are affected by the coronavirus, you should check your existing contracts now. If you are entering into a new contract that may be affected, you should draft its terms clearly to cover the outbreak.
Issue 2
CLH Digital
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David Hunter Writes... 'Getting Through This CoronaVirus Crisis'' CRUMBS! CRIKEY!
BLOOMING HECK! (I can’t use profanities here … even if I WANT to … ) You MUST be wondering what hit you… I know that I am !!! One minute you have a business, which even then may have been doing very well, or you might have been really struggling like a lot of people… and then… BOOM! CoronaVirus bursts onto the scene. From Friday 20th March 2020, or later if an hotel, you suddenly HAVE NO BUSINESS. You are forcibly closed... and yes, admittedly for the good of the nation. OUCH !!! … and it hurts!!!
POINT NUMBER ONE: YOU ARE NOT ALONE … I have teamed up with CLH to offer a FREE OF CHARGE service to any Hospitality Business that has been affected by CoronaVirus shutdown issues… and that must be ALL of them. I am hoping to use my 35 years experience as a Hospitality Management Consultant to help as many affected businesses as I can. I have always focussed on the smaller (under £5m p.a. turnover) privately owned sector … and this is who we are aiming at there. The bigger groups all have their own internal and external help mechanisms … you don’t! So… how can I help you? Best, as in preferred by me, would be for you to pose a query or question by email, to me at: davidhunter@bowdengroup.co.uk If I can answer that query by email I will do, or I will call you to discuss it further. Please do remember to give me your phone number in your email. If you prefer just to give me a call, then do call me, David Hunter, on 07831 407984.
POINT NUMBER TWO … THERE IS GOVERNMENT HELP OUT THERE FOR YOU…
FROM THE GOVERNMENT Without going into the detail right here, and I am not the ultimate authority on Government workings, seemingly the most important help at present includes: 1. The Government covering immediately 80% of the wages of any Furloughed workers … albeit it will take some time for that money to start coming though NOTE … you MUST have formally Furloughed those workers for them to be eligible If you have not done that already … do that asap. NOTE … THERE ARE some rules that have been imposed about what Furloughed workers may or more specifically MAY NOT do in terms of work …
2. HELP with … Delays now allowed in making your VAT payments 3. HELP with … Delays now allowed in making other HMRC payments 4. HELP with … Reduction in your Rates bills … which probably differs by council 5. HELP with … Prevention from being evicted by your landlord 6. HELP with … Grants being available 7. HELP with … Business Interruption Loan Scheme (NB loads need to be paid back!!!) The best place to find out about the full raft of Government measures and the assistance that they are offering you is to go to the .gov website … it is all there in detail. Go to this link … and other information on the .gov website … : https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employersand-businesses-about-covid-19/covid-19-support-for-businesses
POINT NUMBER THREE … WHAT CAN I … David Hunter … do for YOU … I can help you to understand what is out there in terms of on the above links for example … How it applies to YOU… WHETHER it applies to YOU… and what you need to do next. I can help you though the HR stuff, for example what you need to do to Furlough your workers, and how you HAVE TO do that. I can help you with dealing with your staff, and especially in terms of the different approach needed depending on differences in their employment status. ie Long service (2 yrs +) / Shorter service ie Full Time / Part Time ie Part Time Minimum Guaranteed Hours / Zero Hours contracts I can help you with… Getting a reality check on whether your business CAN survive this
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Recession (is there another word for it?) that has been caused by the CoronaVirus pandemic I can help you with… Looking over your previous P&L figures, helping you to really understand them, to understand how your business REALLY performs in terms of overall PROFITABILITY. I can help you with … Planning the re-opening of your business … and maybe even getting it re-opened in a better situation as regards overall PROFITABILITY than it was before it closed, giving you a better chance of it surviving longer term
So … just to remind you … I have teamed up with CLH to offer a FREE OF CHARGE service to any Hospitality Business that has been affected by CoronaVirus shutdown issues … and that must be ALL of them. Best, as in preferred by me, would be for you to pose a query or question by email, to me at: davidhunter@bowdengroup.co.uk If I can answer that query by email I will do, or I will call you to discuss it further. Please do remember to give me your phone number in your email. If you prefer just to give me a call, then do call me, David Hunter, on 07831 407984.
Let’s get through this … by working TOGETHER …
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CLH Digital
Issue 2
New Job Finding Service for Tourism & Hospitality Workers Launched A new free-to-use HospitalityUnite jobs portal has been launched this week to help workers from across the hospitality and tourism sector who may find themselves displaced as a result of the COVID-19 connect with businesses in other sectors who are desperately in need of extra staff.
The portal will not be visible to the public, but can only be accessed by the tourism, hospitality community through a link provided by participating companies. The likes of Amazon are looking out for the skills and experience that HospitalityUnite applicants can provide. “During the current emergency, any hospitality operator will be able to sign up for free resources and courses. These will be available for all hospitality employees on the topics of mental health & well being, in conjunction with Upskill People & the MIND charity. In the future, those companies hiring through HospitalityUnite site are happy to redeploy these people back to their previous role when market conditions improve,” added Willis.
The recruitment portal, which is supported by and UK Hospitality and the Scottish Tourism Alliance, is designed to help hospitality and tourism people find at least temporary employment in other sectors such as food retail and supply, health care and delivery that now need high volumes of staff to get through the crisis. Harri, the hospitality workforce platform, has created the HospitalityUnite jobs hub free-of-charge. “While hospitality has received vital support from the Government, the sector is collectively also playing its part in trying to mitigate the hardship that so many of our people have suffered at this time and will suffer in the weeks and months to come – and at the same time help those parts of the economy that now need extra labour to keep the country running,” said Kate Nicholls, Chief Executive of UK Hospitality. As well as helping those already made redundant or had contracts terminated, the new website, which will be a free service, will also allow sector companies such as those in the food drink retail and care sector with under-employed staff due to current trading to second them to work in other sectors during the crisis. Video-screening will be provided as part of the service to speed up the recruitment process.
“HospitalityUnite already has a commitment from the likes of Hermes, Amazon, Planet Organic, Just Eat, Co-op, Waitrose, Care UK, Morrisons, Balhousie Care Group and logistics companies who need additional staff and who see skilled hospitality workers as ideal recruits. Right now we have 4,000 vacancies at Amazon and 2,500 vacancies with Waitrose ready to go onto the website,” said Pete Willis, Director at Harri, the hospitality workforce platform, which has created the HospitalityUnite hub free-of-charge.
“It will be up to individuals and their companies how they want to use this resource, but it is designed to be another option for them in these challenging times – and we are grateful for the support provided by the STA and UK Hospitality in getting it off the ground,” added industry veteran Peter Martin, who has been working alongside Harri on the initiative. The initiative, which is part of an international effort by Harri, providing similar services in all its global markets, including the USA, already has the support of a number of UK hospitality companies. Joad Hall, People Chief at Blacklock, said: “It’s amazing that these opportunities for temporary work can be delivered to our team. We have guaranteed our teams their jobs back because we desperately didn’t want to lose them but to be able to help them access temporary work is a godsend.”
Bidfood And Brakes Join Forces to Support the Vulnerable in Isolation Foodservice wholesalers Brakes and Bidfood, have joined forces to support a new government initiative to ensure that vital food supplies reach the country’s most vulnerable people during the coronavirus crisis. Starting this week, the initiative will see the two companies working together to potentially deliver hundreds of thousands of weekly care packages across the country to people at high risk from the virus who are not able to get easy access to food at this challenging time. In a joint statement from Hugo Mahoney and Andrew Selley, CEOs of Brakes and Bidfood, the companies confirmed their involvement: “During this national crisis, Bidfood and Brakes, the UK’s largest wholesalers, have joined forces to deliver weekly food and essential supply boxes to many of the 1.5m extremely vulnerable people in isolation. “Moving at record pace, we have worked with government departments to create a service capable of reaching every corner of England through our national depot networks. Our security-checked, professional delivery drivers
are hugely motivated and proud to be playing their part in serving their local communities in this fantastic endeavour.” The government’s directive to temporarily close many foodservice outlets like pubs and restaurants means that both businesses are able to redirect some of their experienced teams to delivering care boxes across the country. Initial deliveries began over the weekend. The parcels, which will be delivered to the doorstep, will contain more than 20 essentials including pasta, cereal, tea bags, fresh and tinned fruit, milk, bread and biscuits, as well as non-food items like toilet rolls and shower gel. Since last Monday, 900,000 extremely vulnerable people received letters from the NHS giving them guidance on how to shield from coronavirus. In total up to 1.5m will be asked to be shielded in this way. Others who did not receive letters but think they are part of this clinically vulnerable group should contact their GP.
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Hospitality Businesses Need Extra Protection After Landlord Retaliation CLH Digital
Issue 2
UKHospitality has written to the Government to ask for urgent support to protect businesses from punitive legal sanctions from commercial landlords.
The trade body has called for an immediate extension of the forfeiture moratorium for 6 months and a widening of the scope to include broader debt enforcement measures, including winding-up orders, statutory demands and commercial rent arrears recovery (CRAR). UKH has also urged the Government to ask landlords to use time to renegotiate terms with tenants. The letter to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government highlights threats directed at hospitality businesses by land-
lords at a time of unprecedented pressure and crisis. These include winding-up orders and bailiff action.
UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls said: “We urgently need action from the Government to provide legal protection for businesses. The moratorium on evictions of commercial tenants announced last week does not go far enough, we need a full rental debt enforcement moratorium. “Rather than use this as an opportunity to work with businesses to investigate rent deferrals or waivers, many landlords have instigated, or threatened to instigate, actions that will cripple businesses and lead to a further loss of jobs on a significant scale. We have had reports of excessive interest payments applied to rent deferrals, as well as winding-up
orders and bailiff action being threatened – at a minimum imposing extra cost to business and at worst threatening their ongoing viability. We have also been alerted to instances where funds have been withdrawn from deposits with top-ups demanded in order to avoid lease terms being broken. “This is an unprecedented medical, social and economic crisis for the country, with citizens pulling together. Millions of people’s livelihoods and job security depend on businesses working in harmony. Business as usual cannot apply at this stage. Yet, landlords are effectively signing a death sentence for many businesses that are just about keeping afloat. “We need legal protection to buy time for under-pressure businesses. Otherwise, they will fold, and even more jobs lost.”
Banks Criticized for Coronavirus Loan Guarantee Tactics
With many hospitality and on-trade businesses struggling to keep afloat amid the Covid-19 lockdown, banks have been heavily criticised by firms and MPs for demanding personal guarantees to issue government-backed emergency loans to business owners, known as a Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan (CBIL). CBILs are government-backed loans of up to £5m, with no interest
or fees for the first 12 months. When Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced the measures last week, he said CBILs were part of a “collective national effort” to get through this “economic emergency.”
“It’s important to realise that in the fine print, many banks will ask for additional security and personal guarantees for loan amounts greater than £250,000 of borrowings,” he said.
Under the new programme, it is up to the lender to decide whether to ask for security guarantees from business owners. They are forbidden from taking a charge on a borrower’s homes but can go after other assets.
Stephen Jones, the head of industry group UK Finance, said banks were “required” to ask for guarantees above £250,000 “because the government guarantee of 80% of loan losses only covers residual losses on a bad debt after the security taken has been realised.”
The requirement loads most of the risk that the loan goes bad on the business owner, rather than the banks .It means that the banks can go after the personal property of the owner of a firm if their business goes under and they cannot afford to pay off the debt.
The SME Alliance, which represents small and medium sized enterprises and is led by business owner Andy Keats, said that while business owners were grateful for the recognition that most firms will need help to survive the crisis, “yet again, it is the banks and not businesses who will receive the funds to help SMEs”.
Mike Cherry, chair of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), said: “Given that these are extreme circumstances – and the government is prepared to underwrite 80% of the value of this lending – we need to see banks taking a genuinely flexible approach to viable small businesses in need.” Anil Stocker, chief executive of Market Finance, said small business owners were “weary of taking on more loans that they might not be able to pay back.
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It said banks were seeking security – property they can repossess if the loan is not repaid – for the entire value of the business interruption loans. “We would appreciate some clarity because, as things stand, the proposed loans mean the banks have no risk, the government has a small risk and businesses and their officers have 100% risk,” said Mr Keats.
CPL Learning Calls for Sector to Champion Personal Development for Those Furloughed Issue 2
CPL Learning, the learning & development partner to the hospitality sector, has welcomed the Governments guidance on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and is encouraging those in hospitality to continue supporting personal development. “We believe the guidance provided means that employers can still provide their employees with access to learning and development resources so that they can continue with their personal development as long as it at their discretion.” Stated Jamie Campbell, Chief Operating Officer, CPL Learning. “We feel this is an extremely positive development and will allow hospitality team members to remain con-
CPL Learning has launched a range of free learning resources to support the hospitality sector in navigating this challenging time with over 168,000 courses allocated so far. “We will continue to support the hospitality sector during this time and will be releasing a series of free courses to help those still trading and individuals who are looking to use this time to develop personally. Our teams are working on a whole host of new e-learning courses, and we are looking forward to sharing these in the upcoming weeks. There are also some further projects in development that we will be shortly launching that will help engage the great people that make up our industry.” Added Campbell.
Colman’s is the nation’s favourite mustard(1) and has been a firm staple with the much-loved roast for many years. But what makes this British brand great is the story behind the locally sourced ingredients which give it it’s bold, distinctive flavour… Whether it’s Salt Marsh Lamb, Dexter Beef or locally sourced Beetroot - we know that chefs are passionate about the heart of the dish. But it’s also important to ensure that these delicious dishes are complimented with great-tasting, quality condiments. Colman’s perfected its signature English mustard way back in 1814 and today, its distinctive flavour is seen as a British staple – in fact 72% of guests agree that Colman’s is the original taste of mustard (2). Founder Jeremiah Colman was something of a perfectionist, grinding the mustard seeds not once, but twice, to turn them into a pungent, double superfine mustard powder - which is still a key ingredient in Colman’s English Mustard today. However, Colman’s love for bold flavour extends beyond mustard - they have mint, horseradish, tartare and seafood sauce which are all made with British ingredients. They believe local sourcing is key in achieving knock-out taste. That’s why they have partnered with the National Farmers Union and Red Tractor in support of the ‘Back British Farming’ campaign, which encourages consumers and operators to support the highest animal welfare standards, sustainable farming and great-tasting British-raised meat. Although carefully roasted meat and flavoursome condiments are a favourite British pairing, condiments are wonderfully versatile – they can bring a kick to marinade, add glaze to pastry, enhance vegan & vegetarian dishes, and much, much more.
See the advert on page 8 for further information. (1) UK Nielsen Retail Grocery Value Sales MAT 02.11.19 (excluding brown sauce) (2) Consumer Online Survey, n=1,000 (UK=800 / Ire=200), Cambridge Direction Q2 2018.
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nected and engaged to their employers while furloughed. When teams return to their businesses, we know operations will need to be as focused and efficient as possible. So, encouraging engagement and skill development in this downtime is crucial, so your biggest assets are ready to deliver.” Continued Campbell.
Colman’s: The Classic Condiment That Always Cuts The Mustard
So, there you have it - As the nation’s favourite (1), Colman’s is an essential in any outlet, especially if roasts are on the menu! Whether in a pot or stirred into exciting new recipes, it is a key part of the celebrations this Easter.
CLH Digital
Carluccio’s Falls into Administration - 2,000 Jobs at Risk Italian restaurant chain Carluccio’s has confirmed it has fallen into administration amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The business, which has 71 outlets and was founded by Antonio Carluccio in 1991, confirmed yesterday (Monday 30th) that it has hired advisory firm FRP to oversee its administration. FRP said it was “urgently” assessing all options for the future of Carluccio’s, including mothballing restaurants using government support, as well as selling on some or all of the business. Up to 2,000 jobs are now at risk as administrators seek a solution, however, Most of the company’s employees will be paid through the government’s job retention scheme while these options are explored. This allows for staff to be paid up to 80% of their salary. Geoff Rowley, joint administrator and partner at FRP, said: “We are operating in unprecedented times and the issues currently facing the hospitality sector following the onset of Covid-19 are well documented. “In the absence of being able to continue to trade Carluccio’s, in the short term, we are urgently focused on the options available to preserve the future of the business and protect its employees.” Mr Rowley said FRP looked forward to working with HMRC to access the support it provided for companies in administration and their employees. He added: “As this fast-moving situation progresses, we will remain in regular communication with all employees and key stakeholders, and will provide a further update in due course.”
Issue 2
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Proper By SCT Proper By SCT is now it its 3rd year supplying the trade/wholesale sectors for shop, camp site, touring sites, bar, hotels, butchers, farm shop and everything else in between.
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For Lovers Of Speciality Coffee – The Jura WE8 Bean To Cup Coffee Machine from one situation to another, the WE8 comes with many options for programming and customisation. The amount of ground coffee and water can be adapted to suit personal preferences and the cups and glasses used. WE8 packages are available with JURA I Ltr Cool Control and cup warmer, adding to the professional presentation of your customer coffee offering. The suggested daily capacity is 40 cups a day suiting many cosy pubs, bars, restaurants or staff rest areas. To view the full range of JURA Professional bean to cup coffee machines and full information on JURA, go to uk.jura.com or sales@uk.jura.com or see the advert on page 2.
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Boe Apple & Lime is the latest addition to the range, and is a unique and distinctive flavour which also has an outstanding appearance on the back bar and in the glass. It is stocked by all leading wholesalers and will make a big impact this summer as gin drinkers turn to cool, refreshing flavours.
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Wherever customers can enjoy superlative coffee, the atmosphere is warm and relaxed Anyone who appreciates the finer things in life and the wide choice of speciality coffees, will love the WE8. The WE8 offers 12 different specialities . JURA has perfected the complete brewing process for short, speciality coffees, allowing the WE line to make them to professional barista standard every time. Cleanliness and hygiene are essential in the workplace, so integrated rinsing and cleaning programmes, combined with specially developed cleaning products for JURA coffee machines, ensure perfect hygiene at the touch of a button. Because requirements vary
East Anglian Installation Systems
Free app gives all your guests their own wireless TV headphones. Better still, the standard AudioZone service is provided completely free to all UK venues with no requirement to install any equipment or even register an account. Over 40.000 people have already installed the free AudioZone app to tune into muted TVs in pubs and airport lounges or to listen to TV in a hotel room without keeping everyone else up. AudioZone has also
All you have to do is make your guests aware that the service is available. Give AudioZone a call to get promotional posters or TV frame stickers sent out to your site. All your guests have to do is: install the free app, join the WiFi, select the channel they wish to tune in to, and press play. Why not install the AudioZone app and give it a quick test yourself right now? sales@audiozone.net 0207 175 8880 www.AudioZone.net
Vegan Sauces To Cover All Bases els the prevalence and power of the plant-based market here in the UK is rocketing. Its value is predicted to reach £1.1 billion in value by 2023. Looking further ahead, by 2025 25% of adults are expected to be either vegan or vegetarian, with the proportion of flexitarians set to rise to 50%. Once a rare choice, veganism – and vegetarianism – are becom-
With more and more pressure on operators to respond to the vegan movement, Macphie is delighted to be first to market to launch a new Plant-based White Sauce and Cheese Sauce to tap into this enduring trend. Incredibly versatile and readyto-use, this fantastic new range is now available in a convenient 12 x 1litre pack format. As with our core ready-to-use stable of sauces the new lines are tolerant to additional flavours and inclusions that allows operators to deliver a variety of on-trend recipe applications, inspiring customers all year round. Consistently good quality sauces that cover all bases, with the trusted mark of vegan certification.
ing mainstream.
SUSTAINABLE SUPPLY
Macphie is a strong believer in a more sustainable environment and the development of this range echoes the ongoing commitment from Macphie to social and environmental ethics, transparency and accountability, which has now been recognised on a global scale Use as a pizza sauce base, pasta bake, lasagne base or through the B Corp certification. panini filling. Add value to burgers or use as a pastry The plant-based sauces join the ready-to-use savoury filling. Create dirty fries, savoury doughnuts, waffles and sauce range such as Bechamel with Butter, Hollandaise, quesadillas to deliver the perfect Instagram-friendly Cheddar Cheese and Red Wine, all of which are gluten sharing dish. free and vegetarian.
RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION Responsibility has been the key trend in 2019. This is the year consumers and operators are starting to take responsible consumption seriously. This includes lower beef consumption, growing interest in vegetarian and vegan diets, falling alcohol consumption and rising demand for local produce. 2019 has very much been the year of the vegetable – interest in vegetarian and vegan options picks up.
STILL NEED CONVINCING? With consumers ditching meat at unprecedented lev-
Macphie Brand Manager, Anna Massie comments “We are delighted to be first to market in the UK with the launch of a vegan certified savoury sauce range. This launch demonstrates our ongoing drive for innovation and commitment to a more sustainable environment.” For businesses interested in obtaining a sample please contact our Customer Service team on 0800 085 9800 or through our website www.macphie.com/contact/ or see the advert on the back cover. Source: Mintel | Sainsbury’s Future Food Report
The Ideal BBQ Smoker
Super-fuelled by our coconut green energy pellets The Akwill BBQ Smoker and BBQ Grill is unique in so many ways - it makes the most delicious smoked food and is one of the best Smokers money can buy. Our Green Energy Barbecue Equipment works by superheating superheating our green energy charcoal in our speciality barbecue appliance which then converts the coconut charcoal into a gaseous state which smokes the food till it cooks. The smoke which is released is used to barbecue the food in the equipment which has been specially modified to process our coconut charcoal. The green energy avoids the harmful effects of kerosene or other petroleum products typically used for conventional charcoal barbecues. This BBQ Smoker uses Coco Pellets which are ‘moisture resistant pellet fuel ‘. These wonderful pellets will work with most pellet fuel heating systems and do not disintegrate with moisture unlike traditional conventional wood pellets.
To find out more Contact Us on: 0203 287 4251 Email: info@akwillbbqsmoker.co.uk or visit: www.akwillbbqsmoker.co.uk
Outdoor Leisure
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Active Garden Ltd – Commercial Play Equipment & Safety Surfaces
A play area is a great way to keep children fit, active and healthy. Active Garden Ltd was established in 2004 and since then have been creating fun playgrounds in public areas, schools, nurseries, community centres, hotels, pubs, etc. As part of our service, we discuss with our customers what pieces of equipment and type of surface will best fit their budget and needs. We have our own in house installation team for equipment and surfaces, so customers can have a complete play area from one supplier. We can also create more bespoke pieces in our workshop. Our range of products includes wooden climbing frames, swing sets (including
the most popular nest swings), adventure trails, clamber stacks, playground springers, castles, seesaws, ships, tractors, recycled furniture, rubber grass mats, wetpour and bonded rubber bark. A new play area doesn’t have to cost a fortune. We have affordable and yet robust and durable play equipment, that complies with the current regulations for commercial play equipment (EN1176) and surfacing (EN1177). Contact us to discuss your needs and talk to our friendly team. Active Garden Ltd Tel: 01568 782241 Web: www.activegarden.co.uk Email: info@activegarden.co.uk
High Quality Outdoor Furniture from LeisureBench LeisureBench are an industry-leading supplier of quality indoor and outdoor furniture, offering unrivalled care and service for our customers. Our furniture is selected for strength, longevity, quality and value. We source worldwide to ensure that both our ethical standards of production and our high environmental demands for sustainability are met. We are situated in the very heart of the UK and with over 100,000 square feet of warehousing we can ensure a reliable supply and fast delivery wherever and whenever you need us. We are also participants in LOFA's 'Made Aware' scheme which focusses primarily on sustainable forestry.
QUALITY
We deliver high quality outdoor furniture suitable for any commercial environment. Nearly all of our products are FSC certified and EU compliant too.
VALUE Because we buy direct from manufacturers worldwide and deliver all our stock direct from our own warehouses we can offer the best value available anywhere both online and offline.
SERVICE Our customer service team will do everything they can to make sure your furniture is delivered to you where and when you want it. We go the extra mile to ensure our customers have the best possible service. Visit www.leisurebench.co.uk
CINDERS Doubles Product Range
UK manufacturer Cinders Barbecues Ltd announces a doubling of its product range for 2020. LPgas innovations include an operator-friendly wok burner for kiosks and trailers and two new barbecues which meet the latest UKLPG Code of Practice 24 for tented areas and build-ups. ‘This is our time to coordinate recovery with our distributors at home and abroad’ says Karen Swift, Marketing & Business
Development Director. The 2020 range also includes an upgraded version of their popular half-size folding barbecue. ‘the new Festival SG80F is ideal for when customers begin to gather again in smaller groups, preferring outdoor areas whenever possible,’ adds Karen. Call 01524 262900, email info@cindersbarbecues.co.uk, or visit www.cindersbarbecues.co.uk
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Design and Refit Woodman Chairs
Woodman Chairs is a long established, dedicated chair manufacturer and wholesaler who make most of their own chairs. We offer a wide and varied choice of solid oak and beech chair and table styles – both modern and contemporary – with many finish and seat options. Included in our range is an exciting choice of sturdy bar stools and bar tables. The fact that we make gives us greater control and flexibility. It also enables us to offer bespoke chair and chair frame or component production to end customers or other suppliers and manufacturers looking for their own design or
seeking to create a unique range or theme, again in both oak and beech, raw or finished. Always keen to innovate, Woodman are constantly introducing new styles and have recently added Carver options to their more popular dining chairs and have further expanded their range of bar stools to include rush seated and fabric pad options. Here is a simple decision that won’t require a Referendum! If you want your customers to have the best choice, with honest quality, at affordable prices, with decent lead times and no minimum order, then you need only vote Woodman for your chairs. For further details call 01884 841789, visit www.woodmanchairs.co.uk or email sales@woodmanchairs.co.uk
The Chair Man at YOTFC
We Produce Solid Oak, Beech & Pine Chairs, Tables, Stools, Cabinets and Components YOTFC is a firmly established, highly experienced and respected manufacturer, importer and wholesalers of modern and classic furniture. Our stylish ranges are as diverse as the materials we use. We offer on site, comprehensive bespoke polishing and upholstery services. The paints and fabrics we use reflect the choices made by your customer.YOTFC was founded in 1990 with the aim of supplying chairs and components to the Antique pine market and the contract leisure industry.
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Responding to market demands the company continued
to source and supply an increasing number of high quality domestic and contract furniture products for users in demanding and diverse operations allied to the furniture industry. We specialise in designing, sourcing marketing products from around the world at the most competitive prices and distributing in the most efficient manner to suit the needs of our client. To this end we now offer one of the most comprehensive ranges of furniture available in the United Kingdom. We have our own Assembly / Polishing / Upholstery facilities and we are confident that the services we offer are of the highest order and can only be of benefit to our growing client base. Visit www.yotfc.co.uk for details.
Telephone: 01604 890956 Email: md@yotfc.co.uk or brd@yotfc.co.uk
Find the perfect fit for your budget from our extensive range of tables and chairs. Prices on application.
Large selection of sizes and styles of tables and chairs.
• Bespoke fabrics and leathers • Bespoke polishing service • Ranges of pine and oak fixed top tables
Design and Refit
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Barton Reed & Co
Barton Reed & Co is the leading supplier of quality furniture to hotels, restaurants, public houses and leisure facilities in the South West. We can supply beautiful leather sofas, stylish high bar stools, comfy tub seats, elegant restaurant tables and chairs, and relaxing beds. From laid back, seaside charm to cutting-edge design our extensive product range will suit your style and give your business the look that you want to achieve. We have a huge choice of colours, fabrics and finishes and all our furniture comes with a twoyear warranty.
Barton Reed & Co is a family-run business and we have been involved in the furniture industry since 1945. Over the years we have forged strong relationships with our suppliers to give you the best furniture available with a service that goes above and beyond our customers’ expectations.
& Co to supply your contract furniture:
• Wide range of styles • Easy ordering and re-ordering • Single point of contact • Short lead times • Direct delivery • After sales service • Two-year warranty on every item Get in touch to discuss your furniture requirements or to order our new brochure – we’re here to help. Call us on 01409 271189, visit www.bartonreed.co.uk or email info@bartonreed.co.uk
Seven reasons why you should choose Barton Reed
Mayfair Contract Furniture
We supply contract grade commercial furniture to the hospitality & leisure industries. With over forty years of experience in the hospitality industry, we are passionate about supplying the finest quality products. We deliver to all areas of the United Kingdom, Ireland and Europe and export our products worldwide. We keep in stock a huge variety of New contract furniture including tables & chairs, lounge / lobby furniture, & hotel bedroom furniture ready for immediate dispatch. In addition to this as a direct importer we can also competitively fulfil a wide range of bespoke orders
to suit your personal requirements.
Not just a supplier; We understand that from time to time hospitality and leisure establishments like to give themselves a fresh new look. That's why not only do we supply contract furniture, but when it's time for your establishment to go through a refurbishment we also offer a complete clearance service. We'll organise everything from a suitable time and date, professional clearance staff to remove contract furniture whether fitted or unfitted, and logistics. Contact 01733 310 115, email: sales@mayfairfurniture.co.uk or visit www.mayfairfurniture.co.uk
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Increase Awareness of Your Business With HFE Signs be a little goldmine! The simple answer is awareness, I’m sure they do ok or they wouldn’t be there, but it was just by luck that we stopped, and we spent just over £50. How many others drove past? How many more £50 could they have taken that day?
Awareness is a vital essential for any product or service if its going to a success – You might have the best Chef with the best menu and keen prices but no customers or you might have average pub grub slightly overpriced and be rushed off your feet. The key to success is identifying you target market; do you have competition and what can you offer that they don’t? Once you’ve established your market how do you let them know. I recently walked into a pub after my daughter’s gymnastics competition, the carpark was empty, it was 4:30pm on a Sunday. I popped my head in and asked ‘are you doing food’ – the lady on the bar pointed to the carvery, I called in the rest of the family and we had a super meal, absolutely what we needed after a busy day. Obviously, we’ll go back, and we’ve also told a few people. So why was the carpark empty when the food was so good? The price was £8.95 for large and £6.95 for medium. There are a few pubs nearby but none of them have a carvery. I went away thinking that place should be full it has potential to
A simple Carvery Banner on the fence would make every passing car aware of what’s on offer. Pubs, Hotels and Restaurants use Banners all the time for promoting offers and raising awareness. HFE Signs have a wide range of pre-designed food banners just for this purpose. HFE Signs have Carvery Banners, Steak Night, Quiz Night, Grill Night and hundreds more – Even if you’re just looking for ideas you should check out their library! HFE Signs have been designing and printing pub and food banners since 1996. A typical PVC Banner with eyelets 8ft x 3ft costs just £45+vat and if you order two, you get a 3rd FREE and also FREE UK Delivery! Check out HFE today at www.hfe-signs.co.uk
The Latest in Electric Boiler Innovation – The Fusion Comet 3-Phase Electric Boiler Available in 12kW, 14.4kW, 23kW and 39kW Outputs
The Fusion Comet Electric System Boiler is an intelligent solution and alternative for a wet central heating system in light commercial properties, hotels, guest houses and large properties with 3-phase electricity. Silent in operation with no requirement for any sort of flue, the Fusion Comet Electric Boiler can also be installed with an underfloor heating system. The Fusion Comet 3 Phase Electric Boiler is very easy to install with minimal upheaval. With emphasis on safety, we have installed multiple fail-safes in the unit. With proven reliability of our products, we offer 2 year warranty
with the option of extended warranty which will extend the cover to up to 5 years from the date of purchase. This boiler is not only powerful, it’s versatile. The Fusion Comet boiler can be supplied alone or with a choice of Heat Packs and Unvented Cylinders. For larger output requirements, this Electric Boiler can be combined on a low loss header to increase the overall output which gives endless install solutions. For further information or a free brochure contact 01698 820533 or visit www.electricheatingcompany.co.uk
Sims - The First Port Of Call For Banquette Seating We are a family run business with 3 generations of commercial furniture manufacturing experience. Unlike other suppliers we manufacture all our seating inhouse, no importing, no subcontracting. We have full control over every aspect from design to installation to ensure every product leaves our workshops punctually and to our reputable high quality. Proudly offering 2 versions of Banquette Seating, firstly our “Premium Made to Measure” Banquette Seating which is built to your exact design, shape and size, then installed by our professional installation team. You can have anything from floor to ceiling designs to seating that perfectly follows the walls in a period setting. Secondly our “Modular Banquette Seating” which is freestanding, set size units for you to mix and match to best fit your space. Made to the same high
standards as our premium range without setup costs, site visits and installation fees. Also, we offer a range of furnishings – tables, chair and bedroom furniture. To request a brochure or to discuss your requirement further please contact our sales team on 01945 450957 email Sales@simscf.com
Design and Refit Café Culture - Pavement Profit The Contract Furniture Group Issue 2
restaurants and public houses.
We design and manufacturer our own windbreaks and use the best materials available. For anyone looking long term that saves you money as you won’t be replacing cheap internet imports next season. It’s one area where it doesn’t pay to buy budget as the continual bumps and scrapes outdoor goods receive combined with the harsh British climate really needs something tough enough for the job. We also supply Markilux awning which are some of the best made in the industry and Uhlmann parasols another top rated German brand. We are an independent supplier serving the outdoor restaurant trade with supplies for outdoor seating areas. We have some large clients including Gondola group along with many smaller cafe bars,
Bespoke goods are also a speciality with custom made menu holders, waiter stations and planters all to you requirement. If we can help you do drop a line to sales@cafeculture.biz
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unique source and supply service; if you send us a picture of an item we will do our up most to supply to you at the best price.
Contract Furniture Group has been set up to offer quality contract dining furniture to the hotel, restaurant, pub trades and leisure industries at realistic prices. We carry a lot of our range in stock so we can help you to meet your deadlines. We also offer a
All our furniture is manufactured to the highest standards, we only use hardwood frames which are glued screwed and dowelled for strength. crib5 interliner (if required) sprung seat areas or webbing and top quality Italian leathers and fabrics. For further information, call 0115 965 9030, visit www.contractfurniture.co.uk or email info@contractfurniture.co.uk
ILF Chairs - Seating with Wider Appeal Crib 5 fire regulations. The majority of our products are available in a choice of frames, colours and we can offer an extensive choice of fabrics including real Leather and Faux Leather. In addition, we also able to offer a full service on bench seating and re-upholstery. ILF have been supplying top quality indoor and outdoor chairs and tables for over the past 30 years to the hospitality market. We offer a wide selection of products to suit all tastes and as importantly, budgets! We pride ourselves outstanding personal service with the motto ' No job is ever too big or too small – it’s customer satisfaction that counts'. In this demanding Health & Safety led market place we guarantee that all our fabrics and fillings meet the exacting BS5852
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Delivery times are generally 4 weeks from order, but we can also offer a "fast track" service for certain products. Why not contact us at sales@ilfchairs.com or on 01293 783783 and find out how we can help you fulfil your seating and table needs.
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Design and Refit
Trent Furniture’s Italia Bistro Chair Offers Italian Style at a Competitive Price Bring a hint of Italian style and quality to your establishment with the Italia Bistro chair and tall stool from Trent Furniture. The classic ladder-back design and customisable seat makes this range a perfect fit for any commercial environment from bars and pubs to restaurants, bistros and cafes. The frames are crafted from solid beechwood and are available in a timeless dark oak or walnut finish. Expertly manufactured, they are durable, sturdy and easy to care for – perfect for a busy contract environment.
fashion using materials from sustainable sources. Trent Furniture offers a huge choice of upholstery patterns and colours which are hard wearing, easy to clean and CRIB 5 fire retardant. As the Italia Bistro range is upholstered inhouse you can even send your own fabric to fit with your décor and branding.
The plush and comfortable seat pads are created in an eco-friendly
MST Auctioneers
MST AUCTIONEERS Ltd specialise in handling & auctioning a wide variety of goods. We act for Insolvency Practitioners, Receivers, Bailiffs and Solicitors as well as large PLCs. We are members of The National Association of Auctioneers and Valuers (NAVA). For the past 25 years, we've provided a unique disposal service tailored to suit, liquidators,
Square One Interiors Starting out in his garden shed, Jamie never thought that his new range of reclaimed furniture would become as successful as it has over the past 2 years. Having had a history in design and furniture design, an idea was born and he decided to run with it. He loved the idea of a rustic looking, industrial range which was also eco friendly and sustainable. He soon found that a modern twist was also achievable, by using bright colours on the steel frames, as well as several different wood finishes
The Italia Bistro Chair starts from just £29.90 and the Tall Italia Bistro Stool from £44.90 (plus VAT) See the Italia Bistro range and more great options at www.trentfurniture.co.uk or call us on 0116 2986 286 for more information.
banks, receivers as well as private and corporate vendors. We carry out probate valuations and conduct complete house and commercial clearances. We have the largest Auction venue in the South of England. Our regular monthly Auctions occupy 45,000 sq.ft. of undercover space, selling over 2500 lots from 3 rostrums over two days. We have storage and removal facilities. In addition we have forklifts for machinery up to 5 tons. We also hold regular Auctions ”On Site” and "On Line" See the advert on this page for further details.
which would compliment the overall design. Making furniture from scratch also had its benefits, as Jamie soon found that businesses would approach him with specific needs and requirements, meaning that he was able to provide a fully bespoke service, as well as offering design and advice. Since his humble beginnings in the garden shed, Jamie and the company have now work with hospitality operators, pubs, bars and hotels, as well as some large contract furniture companies and high street names. Our portfolio and workforce are growing and we are very excited to be working on some fantastic projects moving forwards, so watch this space! Visit www.squareoneinteriors.co.uk
Design and Refit Capricorn Contract Furnishings Capricorn Contract Furnishings are now firmly established as one of the country's largest stockist and supplier of quality contract furnishings to cafes, bars, restaurants, pubs, clubs and hotels.
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For more information or a Capricorn Contract Furnishings catalogue and price list contact Brian Pengelly on 01395 233 320, visit www.ccf-ltd.uk
Capricorn are based in a 40, 000 square feet showroom and distribution warehouse on the outskirts of Exeter in Devon. From within the distribution area we are able to offer a next day delivery service on thousands of products including tables , chairs , stools and lounge furniture. Customers are encouraged to visit our large showroom to view an extensive range of furniture ideally suited for the leisure market. Here you can relax and let Capricorn help and advise you with your requirements. Opening hours for the showroom are Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
Drakes Bar Furniture - UK Bar Furniture Supplier We pride ourselves in providing the best quality items at great prices with fantastic customer service and can supply bespoke tailored made furniture such as booths, tables, seating or ‘off the peg’ items. Drakes Bar Furniture not only sell chairs, stools, tables we also design build and install all types of fixed seating, pews and booth seating for pubs, clubs, bars, restaurants and clubs. When fitting out a premise the seating is almost paramount for a successful space. Fixed seating, booth seating or banquette seating as its also called can come in variety of colours, finishes, types and styles. Below are just a few examples showing what we have done in the past. With clever planning, seating gen-
erates a great flow for customers and staff around a pub, restaurant, cafe or club. It can be used to divide areas, create new spaces in a room and offer intimacy allowing for the perfect social meet up. The beauty of bespoke fixed seating is that we can make the most of and take advantage of your space and features. We can come to your venue and measure up, give you advice and show you examples of our past work, finishes, types and styles. We have a wide range of Bar Furniture, including tables, stools, chairs, outdoor beer garden, fixed seating and banqueting furniture. If you require a bespoke quote either call us on 01422 839 690 or you can send us an email. See the advert below for details.
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